UN records record civilian casualties in Ukraine: May was the deadliest month in four years

May 2026 was the month with the highest number of civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine since the beginning of 2022. This was reported by Mohamed Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, during a meeting of the UN Security Council.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 274 civilians were killed in May as a result of russian attacks, and another 1,763 people were injured.

"This is the highest monthly figure of deaths and injuries since April 2022," Khiari stressed.

The UN attributed the increase in casualties to the intensification of russian air strikes on the territory of Ukraine.

According to the representative of the organization, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, at least 16,126 civilians have already been confirmed dead, including 796 children. 46,590 people have been injured, including 2,835 children. At the same time, the real number of victims may be much higher.

During his speech, Khiari also drew attention to the destruction of cultural heritage sites. He recalled the russian attack on June 17, which damaged the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Earlier, a russian drone also attacked the Kharkiv Art Museum.

According to UNESCO, more than 530 cultural sites have been damaged since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.

The UN representative called on the parties to de-escalate, resume diplomatic efforts, and achieve a complete ceasefire to establish a lasting peace in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.

As a reminder, russian ex-president Medvedev states that for the Kremlin "there are no more rules regarding Kyiv."