Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 27, 2025 International law
Through coordinated actions such as drone strikes, deportations, and forced displacements, Russian authorities have driven Ukrainian civilians from their homes, according to a new report.Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, which was presented to the UN General Assembly on Monday.
According to the report, short-range drone attacks carried out by Russian forces have spread over a wider area and have gone beyond the zone defined inCommission investigation of May 2025The area affected by the shelling extends along a line stretching for over 300 kilometers on the right bank of the Dnieper River in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions. According to the Commission, documented attacks indicate that Russian armed forces units deliberately targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure from the left bank of the Dnieper, operating under centralized command and using similar tactics.
Regular attacks by Russian armed forces on frontline areas The Commission's experts stated that these drone attacks resulted in the death and injury of civilians, large-scale destruction, and forced thousands of people to flee. They concluded that these drone attacks constitute crimes against humanity, including murder and forced displacement.
A coordinated attack pattern
The report states that for over a year, Russian armed forces have carried out drone strikes against a wide range of civilian targets. This, according to the authors, has resulted in civilian injuries and deaths, significant destruction, and spreading fear among the populationAccording to the investigation, attacks targeted residential buildings, medical facilities, and other civilian infrastructure, disrupting vital services. The commission reported instances of ambulances and fire brigades being targeted, despite their special protection under international humanitarian law.
Residents of the affected areas spoke about extremely difficult living conditionsOne woman reported: "Drones hit every car, attack every vehicle. No one comes here—not firefighters, not ambulances, no one at all."
The Commission emphasizes that many attacks followed a coordinated pattern, involving multiple drones or a single drone dropping multiple munitions in succession. Often, the first drone would punch a hole in the roof, and the second would drop explosives. These attacks often caused fires. Some drones used incendiary munitions. One witness remarked, "It's not just an explosion—the munition immediately bursts into flames, like a firework."
The commission identified the specific perpetrators of the attacks, the UAV units and associated military units, as well as the commanders stationed on the left bank of the Dnieper. According to the report, all of them belong to the Dnieper Group of Forces of the Russian Federation.
Forced displacement
The document also noted that Russian authorities carried out coordinated deportations and forced displacement of populations from areas of the Zaporizhzhia region under their control. The Commission members stated that such actions constitute war crimes.
Thus, the report states that in 2024–2025, Russian authorities deported Ukrainian civilians from the occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhia region to Georgia, citing Russian legislation on the legal status of certain categories of foreign citizens. Those responsible for the deportations brought the victims to the Russian-Georgian border and forced them to cross it.
In 2022–2023, Russian authorities transferred civilians to Ukrainian government-controlled territories, accusing them of committing acts against the Russian Federation. According to the Commission, the victims were taken to a checkpoint on the border with Russian-controlled territory. There, they were forced to cross a dangerous operational zone stretching 10 to 15 kilometers to reach a Ukrainian checkpoint.
Inhuman treatment
During deportations and forced displacements, victims were typically detained, their documents and personal belongings confiscated, and some were subjected to torture. Such actions, which cause severe physical and mental suffering, constitute war crimes of inhumane treatment and human rights violations, the Commission members emphasized.
According to them, the evidence collected demonstrates that Russian authorities, including senior officials, acted within the framework of a systematic and coordinated policy in the occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhia region. The perpetrators include the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs' Directorate for Migration, Federal Security Service (FSB) officers, and other government agencies.
The Commission also examined Russian authorities' allegations of drone attacks by Ukrainian armed forces on civilian targets in Russian-occupied territories. However, the investigation was unable to be completed due to lack of access to the territory, risks to witnesses' safety, and the lack of responses to the Commission's official inquiries sent to the Russian authorities.
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