Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict - May 2025

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has published an updated report on the protection of civilians for May 2025, which describes civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure that occurred over the past month.

Civilian casualties in Ukraine remained high in May, with at least 183 civilians killed and 836 injured. 97 percent of these casualties occurred in government-controlled territory.

The high number of civilian deaths and injuries in May continued the upward trend in casualties in 2025, with the first five months of the year 47 percent higher than the same period last year.

Russian large-scale long-range attacks have also intensified in recent days. Between June 6 and June 11 alone, Ukrainian authorities reported that the Russian Federation launched more than 1,500 drones and long-range missiles across the country, killing at least 19 and injuring 205 civilians, increasing fear across the country.

Summary
- In May 2025, at least 183 civilians were killed and 836 injured, continuing the trend of high civilian casualties this year. The number of civilians killed in May is the second highest in 2025 after April.

- In May, long-range strikes continued to be the most frequent and high-frequency cause of civilian casualties across Ukraine, while short-range unmanned aerial vehicles remained the main cause in frontline areas. The vast majority of civilian casualties (97 percent) occurred in government-controlled areas.

- In May, civilian casualties were recorded in 17 regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv, including in areas far from the frontline.

- 28 percent of civilian casualties were caused by rocket attacks and ammunition barrages. A similarly high proportion of casualties were caused by short-range drone attacks. Artillery shelling and MLRS attacks accounted for 21 percent, and aerial bombardment for 18 percent of casualties.

- In May, Russian armed forces carried out at least five attacks on port infrastructure in Odesa region, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.