Monthly Report

May Civilian Casualties Surge in Ukraine Amid Russian Offensive

Posted by Ine Iversen on

The month of May in Ukraine, a painful growth in the number of Russian attacks and civilian casualties.

In a grim escalation of violence, May recorded a significant surge in civilian casualties in Ukraine, with a 31% increase in deaths compared to April. This marked the highest number of civilian casualties in nearly a year.

Over half of May’s casualties were reported in Kharkiv city and its surrounding region, where Russian forces launched a renewed ground offensive on May 10. The widespread use of air-dropped bombs and missiles in densely populated areas, including frontline communities and Kharkiv city, has resulted in catastrophic civilian harm.

Taken by @Liberov in Vovchansk

Key Facts

  • Total Civilian Casualties in May: 864 (174 killed, 690 injured)
  • Kharkiv City & Region Casualties: Over 50% of total casualties in May

  • Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has been particularly devastated. A missile strike on May 23 targeted a printing house, killing seven employees and injuring at least 21 civilians, mostly women. Just two days later, russia again attacked the city with several missiles, two of them hitting an “Epitsentr”, a large home improvement store, resulting in 19 deaths and 54 injuries. The month ended with a barrage of missiles hitting a residential area, including a multi-story building, killing nine and injuring 15.

Significant Attacks:

  • 23 May: Missile strike on a printing house in Kharkiv killed 7 employees, injured 21 civilians
  • 25 May: Air-dropped bombs hit Epitsentr home improvement center in Kharkiv, killing 19 civilians, injuring 54
  • 31 May: Multiple missiles hit a residential area in Kharkiv, killing 9 civilians, injuring 15
  • Impact on Infrastructure: 24 attacks on energy infrastructure and 6 on railway infrastructure

These attacks have exposed the stark vulnerability of civilians engaged in everyday activities. A 45-year-old woman, who survived a missile strike on her apartment building, described being trapped under rubble after an explosion caused a wall to collapse. Rescued by emergency workers, she was taken to the hospital amid the chaos of continued shelling, feeling fortunate to be alive while several of her neighbors perished.

This is a typical Russian tactic, doing what is called “double tap”, where they first hit a large area, most often a busy residential area, city center or hospitals and school, and then hitting the same area a second time after the first responders arrive. This is a despicable crime against humanity according to international law, that clearly states the targeted attack on civilians as well as first responder are a massive war crime done for no other reason than a goal of a genocidal mission.

The escalation has wreaked havoc on frontline communities, particularly in the town of Vovchansk, which now lies in near-total ruins. Evacuees from the town described enduring massive artillery, bomb, and missile attacks, forcing them to shelter for days in basements without basic necessities before risking their lives to flee.

Russias intensified attacks on energy infrastructure have led to rolling blackouts across the country, compounding the suffering of millions of Ukrainians. The documented 24 attacks on energy facilities and six on railway infrastructure disrupted essential services, leaving large areas without power and water.

As the conflict stretches into its 28th month, the human toll continues to rise, painting a bleak picture of life under relentless attack, and to arm Ukraine properly with both weapons to defeat and defend the invaders should be a top priority with a huge sense of urgency for all allies, supporters of Ukraine and the democratic world! The latest figures and firsthand accounts from May illustrate the devastating impact of Russia’s unprovoked invasion on Ukraine’s civilian population, the Russian aggression must be humbled down to their knees and for the sake of our whole world, we must see to it that the bloodthirsty regime of Kremlin is gone forever.

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