UN report accuses Russia of using drones to hunt civilians near front lines and force them from their homes
Russian forces have used drones to hunt and displace civilians from their homes near the front line in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Oct. 27, citing a new UN inquiry presented to the General Assembly.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine found that the coordinated drone assaults, carried out over more than a year, amount to the crime against humanity of forcible population transfer.
Investigators said Russian troops intentionally targeted civilians and civilian structures across a 300-kilometer area spanning the Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv regions, forcing people to flee.
The report drew on 226 interviews with victims, witnesses, aid workers, and local officials, as well as verified videos showing civilians being “hunted” by drones.
UN investigators said the attacks also struck first responders, including ambulances and firefighters, despite clear humanitarian markings.
Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians and refuses to cooperate with the UN commission, which has previously accused Russia of war crimes such as the deportation of Ukrainian children.
