Russian drone terror against civilians: Ukraine opens 2,010 cases since start of year

During the first four months of 2026, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies opened 2,010 criminal proceedings over Russian attacks involving short-range drones, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Facebook.

According to the statement, Russia is increasingly using unmanned aerial vehicles, including FPV drones, not as a means of combat but as a tool of deliberate terror against civilians.

Prosecutors and investigators are documenting numerous cases in which drones are directed at residential neighborhoods, civilian vehicles, critical infrastructure facilities, hospitals, crowded public areas, as well as emergency workers responding to the aftermath of attacks.

"Such actions show signs of grave violations of international humanitarian law and are classified as war crimes," the Prosecutor General's Office said.

According to law enforcement data, the number of criminal proceedings related to attacks using short-range drones is rising sharply.

In 2024, authorities recorded 2,427 such attacks, while in 2025 the number of criminal proceedings rose to 6,771. In just the first four months of 2026, another 2,010 criminal cases were registered.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, this indicates not isolated combat incidents, but a systematic, repeated, and organized practice of using drones against civilians.