The UN human rights office (OHCHR) says May was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, with 274 killed and 1,763 injured.
Combined casualties rose by 93% from May 2025. Rocket and drone strikes caused about 45% of the toll, while short-range drones near front lines resulted in 64 deaths and 539 injuries.
OHCHR warns the real figures are likely higher because monitors cannot access Russian-occupied areas.
The United Nations’ human rights office reported a sharp rise in civilian casualties in Ukraine in May, recording at least 274 people killed and 1,763 injured — the highest monthly total since April 2022, according to a report published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The combined number of deaths and injuries in May (2,037) represents a 93% increase compared with the same month in 2025, when OHCHR recorded 191 deaths and 865 injuries (1,056 total).
Rocket and drone strikes accounted for roughly 45% of all civilian casualties, with many victims in cities well away from active front lines, including Kyiv and Dnipro. Near the fighting, short-range drones were the principal cause of harm to civilians: in May, 64 people were killed and 539 wounded by drones — the highest monthly toll from drones since the conflict began.
“These figures are likely an undercount,” the OHCHR cautioned, noting that UN monitors cannot access areas under Russian occupation, so the true toll may be higher.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion with Western support for more than four years. Since the war began in February 2022, the United Nations estimates that more than 16,000 civilians have been killed and over 46,000 injured. Limited access to occupied territories means these totals are likely conservative.
The OHCHR report underscores the continued human cost of the conflict and highlights the growing use of long- and short-range drones and rockets that increasingly affect population centers outside immediate front-line areas.
Help us improve.
