Russia is using drones to stalk civilians living near the front line in Ukraine, forcing them to flee their homes and causing mass displacement, a crime against humanity, a UN investigation has found.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry’s report on Ukraine describes incidents where civilians were pursued over long distances by camera-equipped drones and, in some cases, attacked with Molotov cocktails or explosives while seeking shelter.

“These attacks are part of a coordinated policy of expelling civilians from these areas and constitute the crime against humanity of the forcible displacement of populations,” says the 17-page report to be presented this week to the UN General Assembly.

The research findings are based on 226 interviews with victims, witnesses, aid workers and local authorities, as well as hundreds of verified videos from online sources.

The attacks described in the report took place in three regions of southern Ukraine, near the front line and across the Dnieper River, over a period of more than a year.

Russia denies it is deliberately targeting civilians, although its forces have killed thousands since the invasion began three and a half years ago. Ukraine, for its part, has also hit political targets in Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories, but on a much smaller scale.

According to the report, a woman from Kherson was chased in August 2024 by a drone as she parked her car and injured when she tried to hide in her garage. On the same day, two more drones hit her home, which she was eventually forced to leave.

The report says drone attacks have caused a dramatic population decline in some areas, where only the elderly and disabled remain.

“There is no doubt that the drone operators are acting with intent,” Eric Mose, chairman of the UN commission of inquiry, told Reuters. “They are really chasing people whether they are in their gardens, in their homes or on the street,” he added.

Some of the survivors who spoke to UN investigators said they felt like they were being “hunted down”, and according to Moze, the attackers use the same word in the drone videos they have posted online.

Even firefighters, paramedics and first responders have come under attack, depriving residents of basic emergency services in areas where they are most needed, the report said.

The UN commission of inquiry already said in May that such attacks amount to a crime against humanity of murder. However, in this new report it is pointed out that the attacks also constitute a violent displacement of population, while it is recorded that they extend over a wider area of ​​more than 300 kilometers.

The report also documents that Russian authorities coordinated actions to expel or transfer civilians from areas of Zaporizhia under their control, which the UN says constitutes a war crime.