Moscow is deliberately driving Ukrainians from their homes, UN investigators find

Russia is committing crimes against humanity in Ukraine, according to independent UN human rights investigators. Moscow is carrying out systematic, coordinated actions aimed at driving Ukrainians from their homes.

Russia expels residents from at least three Ukrainian regions

In its report on the situation in Ukraine, the UN Commission of Inquiry states that Russian forces have committed two crimes against humanity: "firstly, of 'murder and of forcible transfer of population' and secondly, 'deportations and transfers of civilians' from areas occupied by Russian forces, some of whom were tortured." 

The report highlights that attacks stretching over 300 kilometers along the right bank of the Dnipro River — across the Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts — represent a coordinated campaign to force Ukrainians from their homes.

Russian forces have deliberately targeted:

• Individuals
• Homes, buildings, and humanitarian aid distribution points
• Critical energy infrastructure
• Ambulances and fire brigades, which are granted special protection under international humanitarian law

“We are hit every day, drones fly at any time - morning, evening, day or night, constantly,” said a man interviewed for the report.

Russia’s deliberate terror against civilians

The UN-appointed investigative commission, established in March 2022 by the Human Rights Council, gathered testimonies from residents living under bombardment who described their conditions as “unbearable.”

The findings are based on approximately 500 verified videos of crimes, with 247 geolocated incidents, and 226 interviews with Ukrainian citizens.

The report also documents detentions, torture, and the confiscation of documents and property — actions that "inflicted severe mental pain and suffering and amount to inhuman treatment as a war crime and a violation of human rights."

Many attacks repeatedly struck the same vehicles and infrastructure, intentionally setting them ablaze and spreading terror among civilians, violating their fundamental rights.

The commission also reviewed Russia’s claims about Ukrainian drone strikes on civilian targets in occupied territories but said it could not draw conclusions due to a lack of access, security concerns for witnesses, and non-cooperation from Russian authorities.