Ukraine records highest civilian death toll in May, data shows
The previous record was recorded in April 2022 (Photo: Getty Images)
In May 2026, the highest number of civilian casualties in Ukraine in the past four years was recorded. The total number of victims exceeded 2,000 people, according to the monthly report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
What the UN mission recorded
In May, at least 274 civilians were confirmed killed and 1,763 injured — over 2,000 people in total. This is the highest figure since April 2022.
"With more than 2,000 civilian casualties, the month of May saw more civilian casualties than any other month since April 2022," said mission head Danielle Bell.
What caused such a high number of casualties
The main reason is Russia's use of powerful weapons in urban areas. Missiles and aerial bombs repeatedly killed and wounded dozens of people in a single strike:
- May 5 – aerial bombs on an industrial zone in Zaporizhzhia: 12 killed, 42 wounded;
- May 14 – a missile hit an apartment building in Kyiv: 24 killed, at least 7 wounded.
Drones set records
Near the front line, small attack drones were the main cause of casualties. In May, they killed at least 64 civilians and wounded 539 — the highest figure for this type of weapon since the start of the full‑scale invasion. In Kherson alone, 14 were killed, and 221 were wounded.
Putin has threatened to intensify attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure — allegedly in response to strikes on Russian cities. On June 12, Russia attacked a DTEK thermal power plant: one employee was killed, and one was wounded. Meanwhile, the media showed photos of new launch pads for Shahed drones that Russia has built right near Belarus.
