DRONE TERROR

Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014, we have noticed that the Russian military does not hesitate to harm and kill civilians.

After February 24, 2022, the scale of terror against the civilian population increased significantly. This was confirmed by international observers. The massacre in the suburb of the capital, the town of Bucha, became a widely known symbol of Russian tyranny.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) recently released a report (it began its work in March 2014 to monitor and prepare public reports on the human rights situation in the country in connection with Russian aggression), which notes that over the past year, the Russian military has increasingly begun to use short-range drones against civilians in the frontline areas of Ukraine. The UN believes that such cases are the result of technical improvements in drones and an increase in the scale of their production and are one of the main causes of deaths and injuries to civilians.

In some periods, the number of casualties from drone strikes exceeded losses from missile strikes, artillery and aerial bombs. The vast majority of such cases occurred as a result of attacks by the Russian army on territory controlled by the Ukrainian government. There is a tendency for the number of casualties from small UAVs to continue to increase.

I am sure that the technical component in this case is not the reason, but the ability to carry out the criminal orders of Russian military leaders and satisfy the bloodthirsty urges of drone operators.

The report notes that the most damage was caused by FPV (First-Person View) drones with a range of up to 30 km, equipped with cameras with a real-time broadcast. This allows drone operators to precisely target moving targets. This technology provides a more accurate distinction between military and civilian objects. However, there have been numerous cases where these drones were deliberately used against individuals who were not taking part in hostilities," the report says.

Documented victims include civilians who were riding bicycles, in private cars, in public transport, in ambulances, delivering humanitarian aid, participating in evacuations, or were outdoors near their homes.

Casualties among civilians in regions controlled by the Ukrainian government (2024-2025):

In the Kherson region, as was mentioned in the previous article , the Russians carry out drone and artillery strikes on civilian targets every day. Every day the news reports that residential buildings, shops, an ambulance or electricians, or even a pensioner on a bicycle, were shelled.

According to the HRMMU, these attacks in some cases violate key principles of international humanitarian law, in particular the principles of distinction and precaution, and constitute a war crime. They not only cause death and injury, but also significantly worsen the humanitarian situation by limiting the population's access to basic services, food, medical care and humanitarian assistance. The elderly and people with disabilities, who are often unable to leave combat zones, remain particularly vulnerable.

Unfortunately, it has long been obvious to us that the Russian Federation ignores international humanitarian law. Moreover, this has become one of the characteristics of the Russian army.

Also, we are used to the fact that Russian politicians accuse Ukraine and other countries of their own sins. At the same time, Russia does not allow authoritative international organizations to verify such "facts". Ukraine, on the contrary, has opened full access for international specialists to record and investigate war crimes.

Together with international partners, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are carefully documenting attacks on civilians as war crimes of the Moscow regime – the just and sustainable peace we seek requires holding those responsible for such atrocities accountable.

It is for this purpose that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed an agreement on June 25 to establish a Special Tribunal to investigate crimes of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The core group for its creation included 41 states, the European Commission, the European External Action Service and the Council of Europe.

Evil must be punished to prevent it from happening again in the future!

Valery Evdokimov,

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Tajikistan