UN Report Finds Russian Drone Attacks on Ukrainian Civilians Constitute War Crimes
KYIV, Ukraine – A new United Nations report concludes that RussiaS drone attacks targeting civilians in Ukraine constitute war crimes, citing a deliberate campaign of terror designed to displace populations near the front lines. the report, released today, details how the use of drones has created an atmosphere of constant fear and indiscriminate death for ukrainian civilians.
“With a drone,it’s [suddenly] there,it sees you,and you are done,” one source told investigators,as quoted in the report.
The UN inquiry found evidence suggesting Russia aimed to create “an environment of terror and force civilians to leave areas close to the front line.” The report highlighted the severe psychological toll on residents living under the threat of drone strikes, with one woman describing life as “a lottery – will a drone fly in or not? You go to bed and you don’t no if you will be killed or wake up in the morning.”
Russia has consistently denied targeting civilians, but the report documents numerous instances of civilian areas being struck by Russian missiles and drones throughout nearly four years of full-scale war.
The UN Commission attempted to investigate Russian allegations of Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian targets in Russian-occupied areas, but was hampered by a complete lack of cooperation from Moscow. According to the report, 35 written requests for access, information, and meetings from the Commission went unanswered.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence documenting alleged russian war crimes in Ukraine, and underscore the devastating impact of the conflict on the country’s civilian population.
