Short-range drone assaults deepen disaster on Ukrainian frontlines | EUROtoday

According to the rights mission, whereas the bulk (89 per cent) of civilian casualties have been documented in Ukrainian-controlled territory because of assaults by the Russian armed forces, the remaining occurred in territory occupied by Russian authorities, together with in assaults that struck public transport and clearly marked ambulances.

While individually much less harmful than artillery or missiles, “the sheer scale and increasing frequency of short-range drone attacks have made them one of the deadliest weapons in Ukraine,” mentioned Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU.

Not compliant with legal guidelines of struggle

Forcing residents to drastically prohibit their actions, limiting entry to important items and affecting livelihoods, the big variety of short-range drone assaults exacerbated an already dire humanitarian scenario.

Most short-range drones have on-board cameras that present operators with a real-time view of potential targets.

However, the excessive variety of civilian casualties ensuing from drone assaults means that these weapons have been deployed in ways in which violate worldwide humanitarian regulation, particularly the rules of distinction and precaution, HRMMU famous.

In some cases, drone operators seem to have deliberately attacked civilians or civilian objects, together with medical transport and personnel, which might quantity to struggle crimes, it added.

“It is clear that these weapons are not being used in compliance with the laws of war,” Ms. Bell mentioned.

Call for accountability

Information verified by the mission confirmed that the variety of civilian casualties from short-range drones steadily elevated in late 2023 and early 2024, earlier than spiking in July 2024 and reaching report numbers in April 2025.

Casualties continued in May and June, corresponding to throughout a strike on a minibus in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk area, on 23 June, by which the 65-year-old driver was killed.

On 22 May, a 58-year-old lady, a neighborhood volunteer, was killed in a frontline village in Kharkiv area when a drone dropped a munition on the balcony of a two-story residential constructing, in line with the HRMMU.

“Each of these attacks must be investigated,” Ms. Bell mentioned.

“Those responsible for targeting civilians and humanitarian personnel must be held to account.”