UN report: Russia systematically attacks Ukrainian civilians to chase them out from their homes

The UN in a new report accused Russia of mass crimes against the civilian population — the use of drones against civilian objects, as well as the forced deportation of people during the war.

The report was published by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry into the Situation in Ukraine.

It describes attacks on a wide range of civilian targets over 300 kilometers along the right bank of the Dnipro River, encompassing Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions. The commission calls these coordinated actions aimed at chasing Ukrainians out from their homes.

The targets of the attacks were people, residential buildings and structures, humanitarian aid points, and critical energy infrastructure facilities that provide for the needs of the civilian population.

Rescue workers, including ambulances and fire brigades, which are particularly protected under international humanitarian law, have also been targeted. Many attacks have repeatedly hit the same vehicles or infrastructure, causing fires.

The document also records that Russian authorities coordinated the deportation or forcible transfer of groups of people from the occupied territories. Some were transported to areas controlled by the Ukrainian government; others were sent to neighbouring Georgia.

The report documented cases of detention, torture, and seizure of documents and property.

On Monday, the Commission of Inquiry presented this report to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues.

The findings are based on approximately 500 publicly available videos documenting the crimes (247 of which were technically confirmed at the scene), as well as 226 interviews with Ukrainian citizens.

The Commission also considered Russian claims of Ukrainian Armed Forces drone attacks on civilian targets in the occupied territories. However, it was unable to draw conclusions due to the lack of access to these areas, risks to the safety of witnesses, and the lack of responses from the Russian authorities.

• According to the UN, 214 civilians were killed and 916 injured in September alone due to Russian aggression. The majority of deaths and injuries (69%) occurred near the front line, particularly in the Donetsk and Kherson regions. FPV drones remain the leading cause of death near the front line.

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