Kherson: a city hunted from the air

Since July 2024 Russian drone operators on the occupied left bank of the Dnipro have used small camera drones to find and strike people on the other side — pedestrians, cyclists, buses, ambulances, rescuers — and have posted the videos. The UN Commission of Inquiry found the crimes against humanity of murder and forcible transfer, under a command that reports to the Chief of the General Staff. Local authorities count more than 200 killed and 2,000 injured.

Crimes against humanity of murder and forcible transfer — established (Commission of Inquiry, 2025) Short-range drones as the main killer of civilians near the front — pattern (HRMMU 2025–26) War crimes, Art. 438 CCU — position (notices of suspicion to ten operators, 9 Jun 2026)

Russia said. Russian Telegram channel linked to the drone units · post cited by the Commission · 2024: “Get out of the city before the leaves fall, you who are destined to die.” — A threat the Commission treated as evidence of intent. The post accompanies videos of civilians being struck; the Commission found that recurrent attacks, posted videos and threats together form a coordinated policy to force residents out — the crime against humanity of forcible transfer (A/80/497, para. 54).

Evidence held: Commission of Inquiry, A/HRC/59/CRP.2, 'They are hunting us' (28 May 2025); Commission of Inquiry, A/80/497 (21 Oct 2025); Kherson regional administration (Prokudin); Kherson city military administration, data to 21 Jul 2025.

Photo & video · 5 photos

A Kherson municipal bus attacked three times by Russian drones; drivers and passengers unhurt, 17 May 2024

Kherson City Military Administration, via ArmyInform · 2024-05-17 · CC BY 4.0 · original ↗

SHA-256 e69b02b3c1adad0f… · 150 KB

Drone damage to public transport in Kherson, 17 May 2024

Kherson City Military Administration, via ArmyInform · 2024-05-17 · CC BY 4.0 · original ↗

SHA-256 b076f31c310b94f3… · 139 KB

Public transport damaged by Russian drones in Kherson, 17 May 2024

Kherson City Military Administration, via ArmyInform · 2024-05-17 · CC BY 4.0 · original ↗

SHA-256 d7657d4d8915f31e… · 147 KB

Vehicles of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs damaged by a Russian drone in Korabelnyi district, Kherson, 14 May 2026

ArmyInform · 2026-05-14 · CC BY 4.0 · original ↗

SHA-256 545191ca384cb09e… · 154 KB

Anti-drone netting over a road in Kherson region — more than 207 km installed by June 2026

ArmyInform · 2026-06-22 · CC BY 4.0 · original ↗

SHA-256 67d50e114436d383… · 119 KB

Download pack (ZIP · 5 files)Openly licensed official material only; videos are linked to the official post. No image shows the dead; images of graphic aftermath are blurred until tapped and marked sensitive in the pack. This is not an evidence repository: originals are held by the Prosecutor General (warcrimes.gov.ua) and the ICC OTP.