Russian Authorities Systematically Coordinated Actions to Drive Out Ukrainian Civilians

Russian authorities have systematically driven out Ukrainian civilians from their homes through drone attacks, deportations, and transfers, according to a new report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. The report establishes that Russian armed forces targeted civilians and civilian objects in frontline areas, resulting in the killing and injuring of civilians, widespread destruction, and a coercive environment that forced thousands to flee their homes. The Commission concluded that these drone attacks constitute crimes against humanity of murder and of forcible transfer of population.

Key Takeaways:

• Russian authorities have coordinated actions to drive out Ukrainian civilians from their homes through drone attacks, deportations, and transfers.
• The targeted area spans over 300 kilometers along the right bank of the Dnipro River, affecting Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv Oblasts.
• The Commission identified perpetrators, drone units, and associated military units, as well as commanders, deployed on the left bank of the Dnipro River belonging to the "Dnepr" Group of Forces of the Russian Federation.
• Russian authorities deported Ukrainian civilians from occupied areas in Zaporizhzhia Oblast to Georgia, and transferred civilians to territories under Ukrainian Government control.
• The perpetrators usually detained the victims, subjected some of them to torture, and confiscated their documents and belongings.
• The evidence shows that Russian authorities acted in a systematic and coordinated manner, including the so-called "Directorate for Migration Affairs" of the "Ministry of Internal Affairs," members of the Federal Security Service (FSB), and other authorities.
• The Commission was unable to conclude its investigation into allegations of drone attacks by Ukrainian armed forces against civilian targets in Russian occupied areas due to lack of access, safety concerns, and lack of response from the Russian authorities.

Statistics:

• 300 kilometers: the span of the targeted area along the right bank of the Dnipro River.
• 1 year: the length of time Russian armed forces have been directing drone attacks against civilian targets.
• Thousands: the number of civilians forced to flee their homes due to drone attacks and coercive environment.
• 10 to 15 kilometers: the length of the highly dangerous operational area that civilians were forced to walk through to reach territory under Ukrainian control.
• 2 countries: Russia and Georgia, where Ukrainian civilians were deported.
• 2 types of crimes: crimes against humanity of murder and of forcible transfer of population, committed by Russian authorities.

Sources:

• Press release from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
• Report submitted to the UN General Assembly by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.
• Investigative report published by the Commission in May 2025.