United Nations Report Concludes Russian UAV Strikes on Ukraine's Civilians Are War Crimes

A UN rights commission has found that Russia's drone attacks on non-combatants in south-eastern Ukraine constitute violations of international law and grave breaches of the laws of war.

Coordinated Targeting of Non-Military Targets

In a newly released report, the commission declared that Moscow's military, operating under a unified chain of command, had systematically used drones to "deliberately strike civilians and civilian objects and cause harm and devastation".

The investigation was conducted by the United Nations' autonomous international commission on Ukraine, which operates independently while reporting to the UN. The latest document focused on three particular areas of Ukraine – Kherson, Mykolaiv oblast and Dnipropetrovsk – which are situated close to the battlefront and where drone attacks have significantly increased in frequency over the past year.

Relentless Assaults on Everyday Activities

In these areas, the frontline follows the Dnieper River, and investigators discovered that Russian drones dispatched over the lines had repeatedly targeted civilians and their homes, along with meeting places, humanitarian distribution points, and critical infrastructure that support civilian populations. Often, the strikes targeted the same locations repeatedly. Drone operators have also attacked medical teams and firefighting units.

Models of Drones Deployed

The Russian forces have employed different types of "small, short-range, and low-cost" drones, usually equipped with cameras and a guidance system, in these operations. Some of them explode on impact while different types release munitions from overhead. These unmanned vehicles are distinct from the larger, long-range drones that Russian forces uses to strike cities across Ukraine on a almost daily basis.

Civilian Casualties and Investigation Methods

Citing local authorities, the investigation estimated that over 200 non-combatants have been fatally injured by close-range Moscow's UAVs in the three regions over the past year, with 2,000 suffering injuries. The report's authors conducted more than 200 discussions and examined over 500 video recordings.

Legal Classification of Operations

Based on the report, the UAV strikes constitute unlawful killing, as well as the violation of international law of intentionally targeting civilians. It also determined that the attacks were carried out "within the framework of a systematic strategy to drive out civilians from those territories and represent the crime against humanity of forced displacement of civilian population".

Psychological Impact on Civilians

Inhabitants of the Kherson area have described the harsh reality of living under continuous threat of targeted UAV attacks, explaining how routine movements around town had become a perilous challenge where death could strike at any time.

"I heard the UAV coming as the bus arrived but I thought it would pursue the bus, because that's their pattern, they target the public transport," stated a local inhabitant. "But when it departed the unmanned aircraft was still there and I realized even though I ran after the vehicle it would get me. There was nowhere to hide."

The individual suffered fragment wounds to his head when the UAV detonated. "Drones are much worse than artillery, you can hear the launch and its trajectory," he explained. "When dealing with a UAV, it's [suddenly] there, it sees you, and you are done."

Strategy of Terror

The UN report suggested that part of the reasoning behind Moscow's operations was to establish an environment of fear and compel civilians to evacuate areas near the combat area. It cited a female resident who lived in an location frequently attacked by drones who spoke about the psychological impact: "It feels like a lottery – will a UAV appear today or not? You go to bed and you're uncertain if you'll survive or wake up in the morning."

Moscow's Response and Inquiry Difficulties

The Russian government has repeatedly denied attacking non-combatants, but over nearly four years of full-scale war in Ukraine, Moscow's projectiles and UAVs have frequently struck civilian areas. Russian authorities refused to participate in the UN inquiry. The investigators said they had additionally attempted to investigate claims of UAV strikes by Ukrainian forces against non-military objectives in Russian-occupied areas, but had been unable to conduct this investigation due to a lack of engagement from Moscow.

"Russia continued not recognising the investigative body and thirty-five formal inquiries for access, data, and meetings, remained without response," the document stated.