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The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine reached its highest monthly level in more than four years during May, as intensified Russian missile and drone attacks caused a sharp increase in deaths and injuries, the United Nations Security Council was told, UATV English reports.
Addressing an emergency meeting of the Security Council, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari said that the escalation of Russian airstrikes had led to the deadliest month for civilians since April 2022.
According to data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at least 274 civilians were killed and another 1,763 injured across Ukraine in May alone.
“This is the highest monthly toll of deaths and injuries since April 2022,” Khiari told the Council.
The UN official pointed to Russia’s large-scale strike on June 17 as an example of the continuing escalation. The attack affected multiple regions of Ukraine, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Mykolaiv.
Khiari also highlighted the growing impact of the war on Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
Among the sites damaged during recent attacks was the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Ukraine’s most important religious and historical landmarks. A day earlier, a Russian drone strike damaged the Kharkiv Art Museum.
According to UNESCO, more than 530 cultural and historical sites throughout Ukraine have been damaged since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The Assistant Secretary-General noted that the overall civilian toll of the war continues to rise.
Since February 2022, the United Nations has verified the deaths of at least 16,126 civilians, including 796 children. Another 46,590 civilians have been injured, among them 2,835 children.
Khiari emphasized that the real numbers are likely significantly higher because many casualties in areas of active fighting or occupied territories remain impossible to verify independently.
The UN representative also referred to the humanitarian consequences of the war affecting civilians inside the Russian Federation as well as residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea.
He called for immediate efforts to reduce tensions and return to diplomatic engagement.
Khiari urged all parties to pursue a complete, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire and to work toward a just and lasting peace in accordance with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant United Nations resolutions.
The Security Council meeting was convened at Ukraine’s request following a series of recent Russian attacks, including strikes that damaged the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and other civilian and cultural sites.
The discussion underscored growing international concern over the rising humanitarian cost of the war as large-scale aerial attacks continue to affect cities and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine.
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