The Russians systematically use short-range drones to attack civilian objects and the population on the right bank of the Dnipro River. Because of this, despite the low intensity of hostilities, this section of the front is one of the most dangerous for civilians.
This is stated in a report by the human rights organization Truth Hounds.
They found out that along the right bank of the Dnipro and the Dnipro Estuary, which is an approximately 400-kilometer section of the front, 20% to 50% of the pre-war population still lives, rescuers, doctors, journalists, and volunteers work there — and all of them regularly become targets of Russian drones.
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the number of civilian casualties from drone attacks here is one of the highest in Ukraine.
Kherson region suffers the most from Russian drone attacks. In March 2025 alone, Kherson experienced 600–700 attacks per week, and in August this number exceeded 1 500.
At least 313 civilians were injured or killed in Kherson from UAV strikes between March and May. 135 vehicles were destroyed, including medical and rescue vehicles, and 106 residential buildings were destroyed.
At the same time, an average of 459 drone attacks per month were recorded in the Nikopolsky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region during the year. Approximately 40% of all strikes within the district fell directly on the city of Nikopol — 188 per month.
Truth Hounds emphasize that despite the simplicity of such drones, their accuracy and maneuverability allow for high-precision strikes, which are increasingly directed not at military targets, but deliberately at civilians.
The study describes how the Russian military has created its own narrative, declaring coastal areas a “red zone” where any movement is considered a legitimate target. This effectively “authorizes” the systematic violation of international humanitarian law.
In the public space, this practice has received the informal name human safari.
The consequences of the attacks go far beyond the immediate victims: they paralyze emergency services, destroy humanitarian routes, hinder access to basic services, and gradually deplete communities.
- Recently, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the command of the UAV Forces has prepared a program for the defense of Kherson — it provides for a set of measures to detect, intercept, and neutralize enemy drones that threaten the city. A similar program will be prepared for all frontline cities.
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