Russian forces are using civilians in Kherson and other frontline cities as live targets to train drone operators, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 15 November, referring to the systematic killings of Russia’s "human safari" terror tactic.
The attacks serve a dual purpose for Russia: terrorizing Ukrainian civilians who resist their forces while providing real-world training for drone operators, transforming Kherson and other cities into live-fire training
Russian forces are using civilians in Kherson and other frontline cities as live targets to train drone operators, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 15 November, referring to the systematic killings of Russia’s "human safari" terror tactic.
The attacks serve a dual purpose for Russia: terrorizing Ukrainian civilians who resist their forces while providing real-world training for drone operators, transforming Kherson and other cities into live-fire training grounds.
Russian "human safari" terror doubles as drone operator training
"They are essentially conducting a 'human safari' and training drone operators through the killing of Ukrainians on the streets, on the roads," Zelenskyy said in his evening address. "We need more protection and more of our own active operations."
The president singled out Russian units targeting Kherson, Nikopol, and other cities within easy reach of occupied territory.
"They are tormenting our cities, tormenting our people," he said. "We are preparing special solutions that can strengthen our defenses, particularly in those regions and inflict greater losses on the occupier - especially on those Russian units" conducting the attacks.
Systematic attacks kill over 130 civilians in four months
Since summer 2024, Russian forces have conducted what Kherson residents call "human safari" - using small FPV drones equipped with cameras to track individual pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, then drop explosives directly on them.
The UN confirmed in October 2025 that these attacks constitute crimes against humanity. Russian forces deliberately target civilians, ambulances, and first responders across over 300 kilometers of territory along the Dnipro River.
Kherson experiences thousands of drone strikes monthly, with Russian military social media channels openly posting videos of the attacks and referring to them as a "hunt."
Russia has already killed 2877 Kherson civilians in its drone safari. And the ticker is rising each day.
Ukraine expands drone forces and evacuation systems
Zelenskyy announced expanded deployment of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, including the elite Magyar's Birds unit, with additional resources allocated to counter the threat.
Starting 1 December, Ukraine will launch an electronic points system for evacuating wounded soldiers using ground robotic complexes. "We are also fully ensuring direct financing for brigades for their needs - for drones, for procuring components," the president said.
The announcement came after Zelenskyy's recent visit to Kherson, where he met with military leaders and drone units to review defense measures for the city three years after its liberation from Russian occupation.
On 11 November 2025, Ukraine marks the third anniversary of Kherson's liberation. Three years since residents celebrated freedom in the streets. Three years since Russian troops withdrew across the Dnipro River.
But for Khersonians, liberation brought a new nightmare. This week, Angelina Jolie visited Kherson and described what she found: "The threat of drones was a constant, heavy presence. You hear a low hum in the sky. It's become known locally as a 'human safari,'
On 11 November 2025, Ukraine marks the third anniversary of Kherson's liberation. Three years since residents celebrated freedom in the streets. Three years since Russian troops withdrew across the Dnipro River.
But for Khersonians, liberation brought a new nightmare. This week, Angelina Jolie visited Kherson and described what she found: "The threat of drones was a constant, heavy presence. You hear a low hum in the sky. It's become known locally as a 'human safari,' with drones used to track, hunt, and terrorize people, constantly."
Photo: Angelina Jolie in an anti-drone tunnel. Kherson. Provided to Zarina Zabrisky by an anonymous source.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine this week released its latest findings, documenting Russia's deliberate drone attacks on civilians in Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv oblasts. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also announced a new anti-drone program designed to protect Kherson and prevent further attacks.
Euromaidan Press interviews Erik Møse, Chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.
The UN mission and what investigators found
Eric Mose, Chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. Photo: OHCHR
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine visited Kyiv from 2 to 6 November 2025.
Established by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Russia's war against Ukraine, the Commission used this mission to deepen its investigations, gather further information, and exchange views with officials.
The Commissioners Erik Møse (Chair), Pablo de Greiff, and Vrinda Grover met with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Ombudsperson, NGOs, and victims of the Russian war of aggression.
Since 2022, the Commission has carried out 26 visits to Ukraine and neighboring countries, publishing nine reports documenting Russian war crimes and violations. It has also recorded limited violations by Ukrainian forces, such as indiscriminate attacks and mistreatment of alleged collaborators, though some allegations remain unverified due to access restrictions.
Due to resource constraints, the Commission did not visit Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv or Zaporizhzhia oblasts during this mission.
In an interview with Euromaidan Press, Commissioner Erik Møse noted that the team's investigations did not depend on physical access. The Commission relied on other methods of verification, including remote evidence collection and collaboration with local sources.
Its two latest reports, released in May and October 2025, contain extensive documentation, including the identification of perpetrators, both individuals and entities.
What the report documents: crimes against humanity of murder and forcible transfer
In its report to the UN General Assembly submitted on 27 October 2025, based on the "reasonable grounds to believe" standard, the Commission found that Russian forces carried out short-range drone attacks on the Ukrainian-controlled west bank of the Dnipro River and Russian authorities systematically coordinated the deportations and transfers of Ukrainian civilians from the occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The Commission has concluded that the Russian armed forces committed crimes against humanity of murder and forcible transfer of population.
The Commission has documented and found crimes against humanity in the cases of short-range drone attacks, as opposed to other types of drone attacks, such as long-range ones. It is important to distinguish between the long-range and short-range drones, as it is the short-range that Russian forces use to target and hunt civilians.
The report is based on findings drawn from a public library of evidence, including 247 geolocated incidents. The Commission interviewed 117 women and 109 men, both in person and remotely, to substantiate the findings.
Explore further
The UN confirmed what I saw in Kherson: Russia is hunting civilians for sport
How Russian forces conduct systematic drone attacks across 300 kilometers
The findings concern short-range drone attacks spreading terror and resulting in killings, injuries, and large-scale destruction. Russian forces carried out recurrent attacks against multiple civilian targets across more than 300 kilometers on the west bank of the Dnipro River in Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts. These attacks forced thousands of civilians to flee, constituting the crime against humanity of forcible transfer of population.
Map of Russian drone attacks in frontline regions
Investigators identified Russian drone units and corresponding military formations deployed on the left bank of the Dnipro River, all belonging to the Dnepr Group of Forces. Various Russian authorities and services coordinated actions in carrying out deportations and transfers.
The Commission's previous report, published in May 2025, reached the same conclusion regarding Kherson. The latest findings expand this conclusion to include three provinces.
It's important to explain not only the extent, but also the gravity of the attacks, Møse said in an interview. The report exposes an extensive array of targets hit, including civilian persons, objects, and transport, as well as residences and buildings, critical infrastructure servicing the civilians, and first responders.
The Commission determined that these drone attacks were directed by Russian authorities to inflict maximum harm. Operated under a unified command, Russian forces used drones capable of real-time observation and target tracking, leaving no doubt that operators could identify civilians.
One method of attacks, for instance, included using several drones: the first drone would strike a house, piercing the roof, while the second dropped explosives or incendiary materials to ignite fires.
When rescue workers arrived, they too were targeted.
Such methods, Møse stated, demonstrate intent and a clear violation of international law.
Kherson: human safari goes on.
You are watching a Russian drone video: it attacks the fire engine extinguishing the fire started by another drone at a gas station in a residential area (see below 2/2).
Perpetrators identified: from drone operators to Putin
The report found that the attacks were carried out by drone units of the Russian armed forces based on the left bank of the Dnipro River, under Russian control, in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
Witnesses said Russian soldiers occupied vacant houses, positioned military equipment between civilian buildings, and operated drones from within residential, administrative, medical, and educational facilities.
Explore further
Highway of fire: Russian drones turn Kherson’s lifeline road into a death trap
The Commission identified individual drone operators and units stationed on the left bank. Some operators regularly shared footage of drone attacks on civilians via Telegram channels.
These units are part of the "Dnepr" Group of Forces, commanded by Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky, who reports directly to Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov, the commander of all Russian troops in Ukraine.
In July 2025, Russia's Defence Minister visited the Group's headquarters, where Teplinsky briefed him on a new drone control system designed to coordinate operations, reduce losses, and track drone deployment.
Among Russian-installed officials, Volodymyr Saldo, the self-proclaimed "Governor" of occupied Kherson Oblast, has actively supported drone operations. In September 2024, he posted on his Telegram channel that he had delivered drones to military personnel on the left bank.
In 2025, he shared updates and recruitment appeals for a drone unit in northern Kherson under the slogan "Make Kherson's history already today!" He also reported visiting drone factories in 2023 and 2025, stating that drones from the factories were "working en masse on the front lines—in the area of responsibility of the 'Dnepr' troop grouping."
Both Valery Gerasimov and Volodymyr Saldo ultimately report to Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces. Gerasimov, as Chief of the General Staff, reports to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and, through him, to Putin.
Saldo reports to the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, which oversees the occupied territories.
Witnesses and local officials in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast reported that some drones were launched from or near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, seized by Russian forces in 2022. The use of the plant's vicinity for military purposes violates international humanitarian law, which prohibits locating military objectives near nuclear installations.
Deportations from Zaporizhzhia Oblast follow consistent pattern
In addition, the Commission also found that deportations and transfers of civilians by Russian authorities constitute war crimes and follow a consistent pattern.
Russian authorities coordinated the removal of civilians from occupied areas in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, actions that amount to the war crimes of deportation and unlawful transfer. Some victims were deported from Zaporizhzhia to Georgia, while others were transferred to territories under Ukrainian government control. Victims of deportation and transfer were detained, tortured, and had their documents and belongings confiscated before being compelled to leave.
The Commission found that these acts were systematic and sustained over a prolonged period, reflecting an organized effort by various Russian entities, including senior officials. Transfers and deportations were carried out pursuant to state policy, with the Russian-appointed "Governor" of occupied Zaporizhzhia issuing a decree mandating expulsions and publicly confirming the actions.
Explore further
Russia corners Ukrainians in filtration and deportation
Response and the path to accountability
The Commission's most recent report delivered to the United Nations was well received by member states in the General Assembly and Ukrainian authorities, and drew broad media coverage across international, regional, and national outlets.
"Documenting and covering the situation is essential to spread knowledge about these crimes," said Møse. He noted that while early reporting on drone attacks was limited, awareness has grown as evidence accumulated, particularly regarding their extent and impact. The press coverage and amplification of the findings remain of utter importance.
I can't. The monsters killed her.
I spoke to her a few weeks ago. For f^^* sake. God damn, god damn them, god damn Russians.
Russian drone kills 84-year-old goat herder who refused to abandon her animals
Although media and researchers have reported on the drone attacks in Kherson Oblast, understanding of their scale and severity remains limited.
Based on documented evidence, the Commission determined that Russian authorities committed the crimes against humanity of murder and of forcible transfer of population, as well as the war crimes of intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, and inflicting inhuman treatment. These actions are part of a state policy of aggression.
Military units of the Russian armed forces, operating under centralized command across Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts, targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure with drones for over a year. In occupied Zaporizhzhia, civil authorities, including the appointed "Governor," coordinated with the Federal Security Service (FSB) to deport and transfer Ukrainian civilians.
The Commission emphasized that judicial accountability is essential. It called for investigations and prosecutions of all individuals responsible for these crimes, including those who ordered, directed, or facilitated drone attacks on civilians and civilian objects, in accordance with international legal standards.
An anti-drone tunnel made of nets in Kherson aims to protect civilians from FPV attacks. Photo: Zarina Zabrisky
The reports are intended to support ongoing and future accountability efforts, including national prosecutions, universal jurisdiction cases, and proceedings before the International Criminal Court. The ICC has already issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied areas.
"Our perspective is that these reports will and should contribute to accountability for these egregious crimes," said Møse. "It's important that this information is widely shared."
The Commission called for accountability and reparations, urging that the aggressor state bear financial responsibility for rebuilding lives and communities destroyed by the war.
Møse reiterated the recommendation that Russia immediately end drone attacks on civilians and stop spreading terror among the population.
Each report provides verified factual findings and legal analysis under human rights, humanitarian, and international criminal law, forming a foundation for further action by international and national bodies.
"The law is clear," said Møse. "This has to stop. That is our mandate."
To coincide with the anniversary of Kherson's liberation, the documentary Kherson: Human Safari will be broadcast on major Ukrainian channels. National TV channels Dim (20:00 Kyiv time) and Freedom (16:45) on 11 November 2025. The film will also be available for free viewing on MEGOGO, the largest entertainment platform in Eastern Europe. The film will also be available for free viewing on YouTube, Kyivstar TV, Sweet TV, YouTV, OTT Club, Ukrainske TV, and Current Time, a joint network of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America.
Explore further
Inside Human Safari: the film that captures Russia’s drones hunting Ukrainians like prey
Ukraine has registered over 190,000 war crimes since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and prosecutors believe the scale and pattern of these crimes show a state-directed campaign to wipe out the Ukrainian nation, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office.
Throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow's forces have been systematically violating international law and committing war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war. Kyiv, work
Ukraine has registered over 190,000 war crimes since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and prosecutors believe the scale and pattern of these crimes show a state-directed campaign to wipe out the Ukrainian nation, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office.
Throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow's forces have been systematically violating international law and committing war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war. Kyiv, working with the UN and other partners, is documenting these crimes to ensure accountability from the perpetrators up to those who issued the orders.
Ukraine presents staggering war crimes evidence to UN investigators
On 4 November 2025, Deputy Prosecutor General Andrii Leshchenko met with representatives of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, led by Erik Møse. During the meeting, Ukrainian officials shared data, investigative results, and assessments pointing to what they described as Russia’s orchestrated campaign of violence against Ukraine’s civilian population.
The Prosecutor General’s Office told the UN commission that over 190,000 war crimes had been recorded since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Leshchenko said that 1,029 Russian military personnel had been formally charged, with 747 indictments sent to court and 206 individuals already convicted.
He emphasized that the scale and systematic nature of the Russian Federation’s crimes allow them to be classified as part of a deliberate genocidal policy against the Ukrainian people.
“What we are seeing is a planned state policy aimed at destroying the Ukrainian nation,” Leshchenko said, adding that investigators are not focusing solely on the direct perpetrators but also on the political and military leadership of Russia, the aggressor state.
Spike in drone attacks highlights deliberate targeting of civilians
Yurii Rud, head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed During Armed Conflict, highlighted the sharp increase in Russian drone attacks on civilians. He said more than 5,100 such assaults were documented in just the first nine months of 2025 — twice the total recorded in all of 2024. Rud noted these attacks showed clear signs of crimes against humanity.
UN report confirms civilian targeting and forced deportations
The Ukrainian delegation and UN representatives also discussed a recent report from the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. The report cited numerous cases of force used against civilians in both Russian-occupied and frontline territories. It detailed systematic drone strikes on civilian infrastructure and the deportation of residents from Russian-occupied areas.
An 84-year-old woman was killed by a Russian drone in Kherson Oblast on 20 October while tending to her goats—just weeks after explaining to an American journalist why she refused to evacuate despite daily attacks on civilians.
Such drone attacks occur each day in Ukrainian regions within the range of the small FPV drones, with Russians intentionally targeting civilians. This September, the UN confirmed that this Russian systematic civilian killing campaign amounts to
An 84-year-old woman was killed by a Russian drone in Kherson Oblast on 20 October while tending to her goats—just weeks after explaining to an American journalist why she refused to evacuate despite daily attacks on civilians.
Such drone attacks occur each day in Ukrainian regions within the range of the small FPV drones, with Russians intentionally targeting civilians. This September, the UN confirmed that this Russian systematic civilian killing campaign amounts to a crime against humanity.
Larysa Vakuliuk, known locally as Baba Lora or Grandma Lora, was walking with two goats in the Antonivka neighborhood of Kherson when a Russian FPV drone struck them. She died instantly. Both goats were also killed.
"Her legs were blown off, she was blown to pieces," said Zarina Zabrisky, the American journalist who interviewed Vakuliuk in September.
Kherson's Main Directorate of the National Police confirmed the death on 21 October.
"She was a tiny little lady that showed up near Antonivka, such a curious figure, dressed in a white, almost starched shirt, with bright eyes and a whimsical smile," Zabrisky, who is now in Kherson, told Euromaidan Press. She found out about the death of Lora from the local Telegram channel.
"I've seen a lot of deaths in my three-and-a-half years of reporting on the war, but this one really got to me. I was so angry, I was banging my fists off the wall."
The most cynical part is that the Russians see the civilians and deliberately target them, Zabrisky said: "They kill them while seeing them. They see that it's a little old lady."
Sadism is part of it, but the civilians and animals also become training targets for the Russians. Military sources told Zabrisky that the Russians have a pilot school in Rostov-on-Don, the graduates of which are sent to occupied Ukraine near Kherson to practice.
That's why the Russian drone pilots hit goats, dogs—and old ladies.
However, the FPV drones are only one small part of the deadly arsenal with which Russia strikes Kherson: Zabrisky says that they hit the city each hour, destroying a block a day with aerial bombs, artillery, mortars, and even Shahed drones—usually reserved for long-range attacks.
Russian drones hunt civilians, terrorize Kherson with “human safari”
"All are scared, but each has hope"
In her September interview with Zabrisky, Vakuliuk explained why she stayed in Antonivka despite the constant threat. She had over 20 goats and felt responsible for them. Russian shelling had already destroyed her house, as well as nine apartments nearby.
"I'm ancient. What should I be afraid of? Everyone is afraid. All are scared, but each has hope," Vakulyuk told Zabrisky.
I can’t. The monsters killed her.
I spoke to her a few weeks ago. For f^^* sake. God damn, god damn them, god damn Russians.
She also shared a grim observation, sharing that all the cattle herders who herded cows in the village have already been killed by Russian attacks.
Most people who remain in Kherson live in basements due to the heavy Russian shelling, Larysa Vakuliuk told Zabrisky in September. They have nothing but their chickens, yet they stay, "because it's their own."
"You should help us, from America," Vakuliuk implored.
Explore further
Highway of fire: Russian drones turn Kherson’s lifeline road into a death trap
Kherson's "human safari"
Vakuliuk's death is part of what the UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has documented as deliberate, systematic attacks on civilians with short-range drones—strikes that constitute crimes against humanity of murder and war crimes of attacking civilians.
In findings released on 22 September 2025, the Commission concluded that Russian forces operating from the left bank of the Dnipro use drones with real-time tracking to pursue individuals, drop explosives directly on them, and attack civilian vehicles.
"The circumstances of the attacks show the perpetrators' intention to kill, harm and destroy," said Erik Møse, chair of the inquiry.
The Commission documented drone assaults across Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv oblasts, spanning more than 300 kilometers of front-line territory. Russian forces killed 133 civilians and injured 1,350 between July and October 2024 alone in what locals call "human safaris."
By spring 2025, Kherson residents reported up to 100 drone attacks daily. Civilian casualties from explosive weapons in Ukraine rose by 40 percent in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the previous year, with drone strikes representing a growing share.
"Drones chase us, we hide from them," one Kherson resident told UN investigators. "Drones sit on rooftops, and if they see something, there will be consequences."
The Commission also reported that ambulances, fire engines, and other emergency responders bearing visible markings were struck, preventing life-saving work in the aftermath of attacks.
Explore further
The UN confirmed what I saw in Kherson: Russia is hunting civilians for sport
Documenting the hunt
Zabrisky has been documenting Russia's systematic targeting of Kherson civilians since July 2024, when she first reported on the "human safari" in international media.
Her documentary film "Kherson: Human Safari," released this year, captures life in Kherson Oblast during Russia's full-scale invasion. The film was shot between September 2023 and June 2025 and is available for free viewing at khersonhumansafari.com.
The documentary features testimony from Kherson residents, including artist Alyona Maliarenko and composer Borys Hoina, alongside footage of drone attacks on civilians.
"When civilization is in decline, and your city is in ruins—what do you do to survive... and remain human?" Zabrisky asks in the film.
Russia has occupied the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast since retreating from the city of Kherson in November 2022. The city remains under constant artillery, missile, and drone attacks from Russian forces across the river.
Explore further
Inside Human Safari: the film that captures Russia’s drones hunting Ukrainians like prey
I can’t. The monsters killed her.
I spoke to her a few weeks ago. For f^^* sake. God damn, god damn them, god damn Russians.
Connexion
https://t.co/vH43rDMjeV pic.twitter.com/XCpTWdUffz
Kherson: human safari goes on. 
(@ZarinaZabrisky) 
