Since June 2024, Kherson, located on the right bank of the Dnipro River, has again come under constant fire: this time not from artillery, but from manoeuvrable quadcopters with explosive charges. Following the liberation of the city by Ukrainian forces in November 2022, Russian forces have entrenched themselves on the left bank, from where they have been targeting the city and suburbs of Antonivka and the Dniprovskyi district. A report by Human Rights Watch on 3 June 2025 documents these attacks, which are claiming lives and injuring civilians in violation of international humanitarian law. These attacks are not random – operators track civilians through a real-time video stream and drop grenades, incendiary munitions or anti-personnel mines on them from up to 25 kilometres away.
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A targeted death trail
One of the first documented attacks occurred on 28 September 2024, when 23-year-old mother of two Anastasiia Pavlenko was cycling to a meeting in the centre of Kherson. A quadcopter took off from the roof of a neighbouring building and followed her for almost 300 metres. 50 metres before Antonivskyi Bridge, the drone dropped a munition that exploded a few metres to the woman’s left, wounding her in the neck, leg and rib. The operators saw only civilian clothes and a bicycle on the woman, but still pulled the trigger. Video footage posted on pro-Russian Telegram channels clearly shows that the drone was targeting her, not military equipment or a convoy – evidence of a deliberate choice of a civilian target.
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The scale of cruelty
Between 1 May and 16 December 2024, the Kherson City Council recorded at least 30 civilian deaths and 483 injuries as a result of drone attacks. Human Rights Watch documented at least 45 separate incidents in the suburbs of Antonivka and Dniprovskyi district in which drones attacked people in water queues, on the streets, or even outside their homes. The attacks used banned anti-personnel mines, grenades and incendiary charges, which are strictly prohibited by international conventions. Videos collected by HRW show operators accurately assessing the flight path and speed of civilian objects before dropping munitions.
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Living in fear
Local residents say that they hear a slight “buzzing” sound every day, which makes their hearts clench in terror. Pharmacies, grocery stores and gas stations operate with constant interruptions as staff are afraid to stay outdoors for more than a few minutes. According to HRW, some pharmacies in the suburbs have closed down due to the constant risk of leaving residents without medication. Medics and rescuers were also targeted, with drones attacking ambulances and crews responding to calls, causing delays in first aid. Mechanical damage to cars from shrapnel and the blast wave forced many people to abandon the use of personal transport, but even on foot, people were not safe as drones dropped mines directly onto sidewalks. As a result of these attacks, some elderly people, people with disabilities and vulnerable groups of people have not left their homes at all.
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Violation of the laws of war
International humanitarian law clearly prohibits targeted attacks on civilians and the use of anti-personnel mines in populated areas. Despite this, Russian forces continue to use commercial DJI, Autel and Sudoplatov quadcopters equipped with banned munitions to terrorise civilians. Human Rights Watch recognises these actions as war crimes and crimes against humanity, as they have been committed on a scale sufficient to cause sustained terror among the civilian population. In the report, HRW calls on partner states to immediately launch independent investigations, bring perpetrators to justice, and require drone manufacturers to implement technological restrictions to prevent their misuse.
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