Unprecedented civilian casualties from Russian short-range drone strikes in Ukraine have been documented by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission. The report highlights the escalating threat of these strikes, which have caused at least 395 deaths and 2,635 injuries between February 2022 and April 2025, with the deadliest month on record occurring in April 2025.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission’s report, titled ‘Deadly Drones: Civilians at Risk from Short-Range Drones in Frontline Areas of Ukraine,’ details how these strikes have become one of the deadliest threats to civilians in front-line regions. The report underscores the growing use of first-person-view (FPV) drones by Russian forces and their devastating impact on the civilian population. According to the report, drone operators have deliberately targeted civilians engaging in daily activities such as driving private cars, riding bicycles, walking outdoors, or evacuating others in clearly marked ambulances.
The monitoring mission documented, verified, and analyzed 3,030 civilian casualties resulting from short-range drones between 24 February 2022 and 30 April 2025. The researchers conducted site visits to very high-risk areas, including the southern city of Kherson, Zolochiv in Kharkiv Oblast, and other front-line locations. Investigators interviewed survivors, witnesses, medical personnel, and humanitarian workers to assess the full impact of these strikes on civilian life.
Casualties surged in late 2023 and early 2024, with numbers suddenly doubling in July 2024. April 2025 marked the deadliest month on record, with 42 civilians killed and 283 injured. Drone strikes continued into May and June. The report cites specific incidents, such as a 65-year-old driver killed in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, when a drone struck a minibus, and a 58-year-old volunteer killed on 22 May when a drone dropped a munition on a residential balcony in Kharkiv region.
The vast majority of casualties — 89% — occurred in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government. The UN states that these attacks violate international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of distinction and precaution, and may in some cases constitute war crimes. This report has raised significant concerns about the scale and frequency of these attacks, with the UN emphasizing that although individual strikes may be less destructive than artillery, their cumulative impact has caused severe disruption to daily life and essential services in several frontline communities.