Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict — May 2026

At least 274 civilians were killed and 1,763 injured in Ukraine in May 2026, marking the highest total number of civilians killed and injured since April 2022.[1] This is a 93 per cent increase compared with May 2025 (191 killed; 865 injured) and a 23 per cent increase compared with April 2026 (240 killed; 1,422 injured).

Attacks with long-range weapons (missiles and drones) were the primary cause of civilian casualties, accounting for 45 per cent of the total (115 killed; 803 injured), with most casualties occurring in urban centres, such as Kyiv and Dnipro, far from the frontline.

Short-range drones were the primary cause of civilian casualties near the frontline, killing 64 civilians and injuring 539. More civilians were killed and injured by this type of weapon in May than in any other month since 24 February 2022.

Other civilian casualties near the frontline resulted from aerial bombardments (57 killed and 179 injured), artillery shelling and MLRS attacks (28 killed and 208 injured). In addition, 10 civilians were killed and 34 injured in incidents involving explosive remnants of war (ERW) and mines.

The vast majority of civilian casualties [2] occurred in areas under the control of the Government of Ukraine. Civilians were killed or injured across 20 regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv.

The highest numbers of killed and injured occurred in Kyiv (26 killed and 102 injured), Zaporizhzhia (15 killed and 91 injured), Kherson (14 killed and 221 injured), and Dnipro (8 killed and 83 injured).

[1] 1. 842 killed and 1,905 injured. 
[2] 1,973 civilian casualties in territory controlled by Ukraine and 64 in territory occupied by the Russian Federation.