Ukraine does not attack its population. Mass cases of Russia attacking civilians in frontline regions with FPV drones are well documented by official observers from international organizations.
As part of its ongoing policy of denying war crimes, Russian propaganda has spread disinformation claiming that Ukraine has allegedly turned the Zaporizhzhia region into a “testing ground for killer drones.” Russian media assert that Ukrainian Defense Forces are “deliberately striking” civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Zaporizhzhia region with FPV drones in order to later “blame Russia.”
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, in its latest report (autumn 2025), describes Russian terror against civilians in the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions of Ukraine. UN experts concluded that Russian armed forces are committing crimes against humanity, such as murder and war crimes, through deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, inhumane treatment, and related human rights violations using drones. The Commission notes that these actions are crimes of the Russian army, coordinated with the highest levels of state leadership and security structures of the aggressor.
The UN report emphasizes that the widespread use of drones targeting civilians not only results in deaths and injuries but also creates a constant atmosphere of terror and causes large-scale destruction. Russian drone strikes have severely affected the functioning of various services. Most shops, pharmacies, transport companies, and medical institutions have been forced to close due to what has been described as a Russian “human safari.”
Systematic Russian strikes on critical infrastructure temporarily or permanently deprive civilians of electricity, water, gas, and internet access. Repeated Russian attacks on emergency responders prevent them from reaching those in need of assistance, the Commission’s report states.
According to UN data, in January–February 2026, 60% of all civilian casualties in Ukraine occurred in frontline areas. In 2025, at least 580 civilians were killed and 3,000 injured as a result of Russian drone attacks. In just the first two months of this year, 107 civilians were killed and 430 injured, said UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif.
Ukraine provides more in-depth data. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, about 7,500 Russian attacks using FPV drones and other short-range UAVs against civilian targets were documented in 2025. This is three times more than in 2024. As a result of these attacks, more than 450 people were killed, nearly 3,000 were injured, and over 8,300 civilian objects were damaged, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported.
Read our refutations of similar Russian propaganda fakes in StopFake stories Fake: Ukraine Announced Urgent Evacuation of Zaporizhzhia Due to Russia’s Successes and Fake: Ukraine Attacks Residents of Kherson with FPV Drones.
