At least 174 civilians were killed and 690 injured in Ukraine in May. This is the highest monthly number of civilian casualties recorded by the UN Human Rights Mission in Ukraine.
According to the United Nations website, this number of civilians killed is a 31% increase compared to April 2024.
‘The increase in civilian casualties was mainly due to shelling in the Kharkiv Region since 10 May, associated with the ground offensive by Russian armed forces in the Kharkiv Region,’ the UN said. Attacks in the Kharkiv Region accounted for 53 per cent of civilian casualties last month.
65% of the total damage to educational and medical facilities was also recorded in Kharkiv Region. The destruction was particularly widespread in Vovchansk, located near the border with Russia.
The UN Human Rights Mission in Ukraine recorded 24 attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, including the destruction or damage of power plants and substations, as well as the temporary cessation of access to electricity and water. The Mission also recorded six attacks on railway infrastructure in government-controlled territory.