UN finds Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians constitute crime against humanity

A United Nations investigation has documented what it calls a crime against humanity: Russian forces systematically using drones to hunt down and bomb Ukrainian civilians living near the frontline, driving thousands from their homes across three southern regions of the country. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine released a 17-page report this week, to be presented to the UN General Assembly, that details a coordinated campaign of aerial pursuit and attack spanning more than a year.

The commission's findings rest on substantial evidence. Investigators interviewed 226 people—victims, witnesses, aid workers, and local officials—and reviewed hundreds of verified videos documenting the attacks. What emerges is a pattern of civilians being chased by camera-equipped drones across long distances, then struck while attempting to reach safety. One woman from Kherson was pursued by a drone as she parked her car, attacked and wounded in her garage, then struck again by two more drones that same day. She abandoned her home. These incidents occurred in territories near the Dnipro River, across from Russian positions, in a region where civilians have few places to hide.

The commission's language is precise and damning. "These attacks were committed as part of a coordinated policy to drive out civilians from those territories and amount to the crime against humanity of forcible transfer of population," the report states. Russia has denied intentionally targeting civilians throughout the war, even as documented evidence of such attacks has accumulated. The Guardian has previously reported on what Russian drone operators themselves have called "safari" hunts—recreational-sounding language for the systematic pursuit of people trying to survive in contested areas.

Meanwhile, the military situation on the ground continues to shift. Ukrainian forces are reinforcing positions around Pokrovsk, a city in the eastern Donbas region that Russia has been attempting to capture for nearly a year. On Monday, the Ukrainian general staff reported that approximately 200 Russian troops had infiltrated the city in small groups, with Russian forces attempting to advance near the train station. The Institute for the Study of War noted that while Russian gains in and around Pokrovsk are tactically significant, they do not yet suggest an imminent collapse of Ukrainian defenses. Russian General Valery Gerasimov has made sweeping claims about encircling Ukrainian forces—assertions that analysts assess as likely exaggerated. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the intensity of fighting around the city and the strain on supply lines, but said Ukraine must continue destroying occupying forces.

Economic pressure on Russia is mounting from another direction. The Russian oil company Lukoil announced it is selling its overseas assets in response to US sanctions. Lukoil and Rosneft, Russia's two largest oil companies, together produce 55 percent of the country's oil. The sanctions freeze all their US assets and prohibit American companies from doing business with them. Washington has given firms working with these entities one month to sever ties or face secondary sanctions that would cut them off from US banks, traders, shippers, and insurers—a threat that ripples through global finance.

In a separate development with potential environmental implications, Norway said it is monitoring for radioactive contamination after Vladimir Putin announced Russia had tested a nuclear-powered cruise missile. The Burevestnik, as it is known, uses a radioactive core to generate superheated air for propulsion—a technological advance that comes with significant risk. Depending on its design, the nuclear material may be exposed to the atmosphere, releasing hazardous radiation continuously. A 2019 accident during Burevestnik testing killed five Russian engineers. The Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority reported no radiation spikes as of Monday, though any traces could take days to reach monitoring stations in the region. President Donald Trump called the test "not appropriate."