Russia increasingly attacks Ukrainian civilians with drones - UN
Photo: It has become less safe to move around in the frontline areas (Getty Images)
Over the past year, the Russian military has increasingly begun to use short-range drones against civilians in the frontline areas of Ukraine, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reports.
Such incidents are the result of technical improvements in drones and increased production and are one of the main causes of civilian deaths and injuries.
In some periods, the number of casualties from drone strikes exceeded those caused by missile strikes, artillery, and bombs. The vast majority of these cases occurred as a result of Russian attacks on Ukraine-controlled territory.
The report emphasizes that most of the damage was caused by FPV (First-Person View) drones equipped with cameras with real-time broadcasting. This allows drone operators to target moving targets with high accuracy.
"In principle, the enhanced visibility provided by FPV technology should support more accurate assessment and verification of the military or civilian character of a potential target. Nonetheless, operators have deployed these weapons against civilians who showed no signs of direct participation in hostilities," the report says.
Among the documented victims were civilians traveling on bicycles, in private cars, public transport, ambulances, delivering humanitarian aid, participating in evacuations, or being outdoors near their homes.
Attacks against civilians are war crimes
According to the HRMMU, these attacks often violate key principles of international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of distinction and precaution. Some of the recorded incidents may constitute intentional attacks against the civilian population, which is a war crime.
"In addition to causing death and injury, the attacks have exacerbated an already critical humanitarian situation. Government workers, healthcare personnel, staff of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) providing assistance, and residents have been unable to safely pass through affected villages, meaning civilians could not access essential services, humanitarian aid, and medical care," the UN mission says in its report.
The agency also notes that such attacks restrict the population's access to basic services, food, medical care, and humanitarian support. Elderly people and people with disabilities remain particularly vulnerable, often unable to leave the war zones.
In the report, the mission calls for an end to targeted attacks on civilians using FPV drones. The authors of the document emphasize the need to conduct a comprehensive investigation into violations of international humanitarian law and bring those responsible to justice.
Russia's attacks on civilians
On Thursday, June 26, Russian troops attacked a private sector in one of the districts of Kherson with many drones. About a dozen houses caught fire as a result of the strike.
Russians also hit a multi-storey building in the town of Bilozerske, Donetsk region, with a drone. The fire resulted in injuries among the residents.
On the night of June 25, Russians attacked the town of Vylkove, Odesa region, with attack drones. As a result of the damage to the infrastructure, there is a risk of water shortages in the town.
