One in four people injured by drones in Ukraine is from Kherson: alarming UN statistics

In May 2026, Kherson became one of the Ukrainian cities where the civilian population suffered the most from attacks by Russian short-range drones. In just one month, 14 people were killed in the city, and another 221 were injured.

This is stated in the monthly report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

According to the UN, of the 14 people killed in Kherson, six were victims of drone attacks, and another 132 were injured specifically as a result of strikes by short-range drones.

The report notes that May was the deadliest month for Ukraine’s civilian population since April 2022. Nationwide, at least 274 civilians were killed, and another 1,763 were injured.

The UN emphasizes that near the front lines, attacks by short-range drones were one of the main causes of civilian deaths and injuries. In May, at least 64 people were killed and 539 were wounded in Ukraine as a result of such strikes—the highest toll since the start of the full-scale invasion.

The situation remains particularly dire in Kherson, which is regularly subjected to strikes by drones, artillery, and other types of weaponry. Due to its proximity to the front line, the city continues to be one of the most dangerous areas for the civilian population.

The UN notes that the overall number of civilian casualties in Ukraine continues to rise, and the figures for 2026 already exceed those of the same periods in previous years.

Yesterday, 25 settlements in the Kherson region, including Kherson itself, came under drone attacks and artillery fire. Russian forces targeted critical and social infrastructure, as well as residential areas.

According to the Regional Military Administration, five people were injured as a result of the Russian aggression.

Андрій Колісніченко