US Warns Russia 40,000 Monthly Losses Are Unsustainable as UN Tallies 274 Civilian Deaths in May
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Post · Jun 23
US Warns Russia 40,000 Monthly Losses Are Unsustainable as UN Tallies 274 Civilian Deaths in May
3 articles · Updated · Kyiv Post · Jun 23
Summary
At the UN Security Council, the United States told Moscow its leverage in Ukraine is shrinking and pressed it to negotiate an end to the war.
Den Negri said Russia is suffering about 40,000 casualties a month, its economy is under severe strain, and Ukraine is adapting quickly, making the war effort increasingly costly.
UN officials said Russia’s intensified missile and drone attacks made May the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, with 274 killed and 1,763 wounded.
June 17 strikes hit Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Mykolaiv, while damage also reached cultural sites including Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the Kharkiv Art Museum.
The UN has confirmed at least 16,126 civilian deaths and 46,590 injuries since the full-scale invasion began, and UNESCO says more than 530 cultural sites have been damaged.
In May 2026, the conflict in Ukraine saw a sharp rise in civilian casualties and widespread destruction, as Russian missile and aerial attacks struck cities far from the front lines. These strikes caused deaths, injuries, and severe damage to homes, schools, and cultural landmarks like the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and an art museum in Kharkiv. While the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission worked to verify casualties in Ukraine and Russian-occupied areas, it faced challenges confirming Russian reports of civilian losses due to limited independent sources. The ongoing violence drew urgent international concern and highlighted the escalating humanitarian crisis.