Two civilians were killed and two others seriously injured when a Russian FPV drone struck a vehicle evacuating residents from the village of Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka in Kramatorsk Raion, according to the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Russia has repeatedly targeted humanitarian vehicles, aid convoys, and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. Attacks on evacuation teams and relief missions have been ongoing throughout the war, with drones and artillery frequently used to strike vehicles marked with international humanitarian symbols.
Two elderly women killed, investigation opened
The victims were elderly women, aged 83 and 63. One died at the scene, and the other later in hospital. Two additional evacuees, a 66-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, sustained shrapnel injuries to the head and torso and are receiving medical treatment.
The prosecutor’s office has launched a pre-trial investigation into the incident as a potential war crime.
The attack occurred around 07:00 on 20 March 2026.
Drone struck directly beside the humanitarian emblem
Evacuation mission leader Yevhen Kaplin said the FPV drone struck the roof of the minibus directly beside a large humanitarian emblem, which should have been visible to the drone operator.
He described the vehicle as heavily damaged and briefly catching fire, though the team managed to extinguish the flames and deliver the injured to the hospital. The driver, Yevhen Tkachev, survived but suffered a concussion.
The 100th attack – first to kill
Kaplin said this was the 100th attack on the humanitarian mission’s vehicles, but the first to result in civilian deaths. He called the strike a “serious war crime” that underscores the Russian military’s disregard for international humanitarian law.
He added that armored vehicles and electronic countermeasures are currently the only effective way to protect evacuation crews and civilians, though these measures remain restricted for humanitarian operators due to classification as dual-use or military goods.
The incident highlights the ongoing risk to civilian evacuation efforts in eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces continue to target both infrastructure and humanitarian operations.
