UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Jun. 18 — In May alone, Russian forces launched 8,150 kamikaze drones and 211 missiles at Ukraine, “European Pravda,” Ukrainian media outlet, reported, citing a senior NATO official.

The official also said that Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and Kharkiv, the largest city east of Ukraine, remain Russia’s primary targets. During these attacks, Russia deploys larger and denser clusters of drones simultaneously from multiple directions.

During May, Ukrainian air defense intercepted approximately 55% of the missiles and 90% of the drones, while others failed to reach their targets for different reasons. The NATO official added that Ukrainian defense forces downed only 17% of Russian ballistic missiles.

Russia killed at least 274 civilians and injured 1,763 others in Ukraine this May, which is more than in any other month over the past four years, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

“In cities across Ukraine, repeated attacks involving missiles and aerial bombs have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries far from areas of active ground combat,” Danielle Bell, the head of UNHRMMU added.

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