The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has verified that at least 274 civilians were killed and 1,763 injured in May. This represents a 93 percent increase compared to May 2025 and marks the highest monthly civilian casualty count since April 2022.
Mission Head Danielle Bell attributed the surge primarily to Russia's use of long-range missiles and drones in urban centers far from the frontline. These attacks accounted for 45 percent of all casualties. Notable incidents included an aerial bomb assault on an industrial area in Zaporizhzhia and a missile strike on an apartment building in Kyiv.
"The civilian harm we documented was not limited to communities near the frontline," Bell stated. "In cities across Ukraine, repeated attacks with missiles and aerial bombs killed and injured civilians far from areas of active ground combat."
While men comprised the majority of casualties, women and children were also heavily impacted. Investigators noted that short-range drone attacks near the frontline caused at least 64 deaths and 539 injuries, setting a new record for such weapons since the full-scale invasion began. Kherson city alone saw significant losses from these tactics.
Additionally, HRMMU confirmed civilian casualties occurred within Russian-occupied territories, including an attack on an educational complex in Starobilsk. While Russian authorities reported separate figures for casualties on their own territory, the UN mission noted it cannot regularly verify these due to limited independent sources.