Russian troops in the Kharkiv region have been attacking civilians with drones and setting traps for those who come to rescue the wounded, according to Ukraine’s Airborne Assault Forces.
Based on a report from the 77th Airmobile Brigade, on the road between Novoplatonivka and Borova in the Kharkiv region, a Russian first-person view (FPV) drone struck a civilian riding a motorized vehicle. There were no military targets nearby.
The Russian military then set up a drone “ambush,” placing a so-called “waiter” – a drone kept in standby mode – near the attack site, intending to strike anyone who would attempt to help the injured civilian.
Drone operators of the 77th Brigade said they detected another “waiter” drone and destroyed it by dropping ammunition from their own drone.
The brigade published a video showing the destruction of one drone and the injured civilian. Kyiv Post could not independently verify the time and location of the footage.
“These are not combat actions. These are deliberate attacks aimed at killing civilians and those who try to protect them. Such actions are directly prohibited by international humanitarian law and violate all fundamental principles of the laws of war,” the report says.
According to the brigade, this is already the fifth such attack in their area of responsibility. The Russian strike originated from the direction of a warehouse belonging to the 2nd Motor Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army of the Russian Federation.
“The Russians monitor the road with drones and deliberately target the routes where local residents travel for evacuation… Each episode clearly proves that Russia continues its war not only against the military but also against civilians simply trying to survive,” the report adds.
‘“Human safari” in Ukraine
The tactic mirrors the pattern of drone strikes on civilians in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region, widely described as a “human safari.”
On May 28, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine published a report titled “They Are Upon Us: Systematic Drone Attacks on Civilians in Kherson,” classifying large-scale Russian drone strikes on the right bank of the Dnipro River as crimes against humanity.
Kherson, with around 71,000 residents, is divided by the Dnipro River. The southern bank remains under Russian occupation, while civilians live on the northern side under constant threat.
In late June of 2025, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that civilians in frontline areas increasingly suffer from short-range Russian drone attacks.
The presence of such drones has grown significantly over the past year. Drones have become the leading cause of civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine, surpassing missiles, artillery, and air-dropped bombs.
According to the UN, 89 percent of civilian casualties from short-range drones (334 killed and 2,353 injured) occurred in Ukrainian-controlled territory. The Kherson region accounts for 62 percent of these victims – 179 deaths and 1,481 injuries.
Particularly affected are residents of the riverside areas along the Dnipro, including Antonivka and the Dnipro district of Kherson.
In late September, the Tochnyi project published an interactive map showing how Russian forces systematically target civilians in the Kherson area.
“Russian troops are carrying out a ‘human safari’ by launching drones into northern Kherson – indiscriminately hunting, injuring, and killing civilians,” the project’s authors said.
“They are deliberately trying to spread fear and test the resolve of the remaining population, targeting the most vulnerable – many of whom are elderly and unable to relocate,” they added.
The map created by researchers shows the distribution of strikes and casualty counts. Markers indicate approximate locations within the Kherson urban community.
Red denotes injured civilians, pink denotes fatalities, and blue marks cases where rescue workers were harmed. At least 3,128 civilian hits have been recorded so far.
Russian FPV drones against civilians
The FPV drones used in most attacks are equipped with cameras that provide real-time visuals, allowing operators to select targets and strike with high precision.
“Among the documented victims are civilians on bicycles, in private cars, on buses, in ambulances, during humanitarian deliveries or evacuations, while walking, or inside their homes,” the UN Mission stated.
These continuous attacks have deepened an already severe humanitarian crisis. Government workers, medical personnel, and residents cannot move safely, leaving civilians unable to access essential services, humanitarian aid, or medical care.
This has violated multiple rights, including access to life, food, adequate living conditions, and healthcare. Older people and those with disabilities have been hit hardest, as they are more likely to remain in frontline areas.
Drone ambushes
A Ukrainian drone operator with the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, call sign “Potter,” previously told Kyiv Post how rapidly changing Russian FPV drone tactics nearly killed him and his team during a rotation in the Kharkiv sector.
“The [expletive for Russians] are constantly changing their tactics and it’s hard to keep up,” he said.
The incident occurred on a logistics road in an open field without protective drone nets. As the rotation vehicle with four soldiers headed out, Russian forces had positioned a camouflaged FPV drone directly on the road to ambush their return.
Potter said the team hadn’t noticed the device because it was concealed beneath the road surface. That drone was meant to lift off and strike their vehicle, but their stationary electronic warfare system likely prevented it from taking off.
The soldiers drove over the drone, triggering a cumulative-charge explosion that hit the engine shield. Potter said the engine remained mostly intact and that all four soldiers sustained concussions but survived.
“Alive, concussed, happy – and we’ll keep working,” he told Kyiv Post.
After the blast, the soldiers took cover in nearby trenches as multiple Russian drones circled overhead. They were forced to walk roughly 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) to a safer road, still under reconnaissance drone surveillance. Two more unexploded drones were later found near their vehicle, likely jammed.
Potter warned that Russia’s use of FPV drones is growing rapidly – and becoming deadlier.