How Putin’s long-range drones have taken war in Ukraine to new deadly phase

Civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine have risen by 50 per cent, as residents tell The i Paper they are increasingly afraid of the growing number of indiscriminate Russian drone attacks.

New figures, released by the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), show the significant rise taking place in the first five months of 2025, compared to the same period last year.

“Ukraine has entered a new phase of the war,” Veronika Velch, Director of Amnesty International in Ukraine, told The i Paper, explaining how “drones have changed the war”.

“There aren’t enough means to protect the civilians,” added Velch.

Although long-range missile and drone attacks caused the largest proportion of civilian casualties – accounting for about 28 per cent of casualties in May – short-range drones, known as First-Person-View (FPV) drones, remain the leading cause of civilian deaths on the frontline.

Increase in drones use over the last year

The use of FPV drones intensified in frontline areas over the past year, driven by technological advancements and increased production rates, according to a new report released by the UNHC.

Equipped with cameras that provide a real-time view of areas, they allow operators to attack specific targets with exceptional accuracy. While the FPV drones should support more accurate assessment and verification of the target, operators have deployed them against civilians who show no signs of direct participation in hostilities.

Documented casualties have included civilians on bicycles, on public buses, in ambulances and those delivering humanitarian aid.

Danielle Bell, head of the HRMMU, agreed the increase in civilian attacks was linked to an “intensification” in the use of loitering munitions, also known as suicide drones, and “frequent attacks with short-range drones along the frontline”.

She also said that the increase in “long-range attacks with missiles” was adding to the death toll.

Since 6 June, Russian forces have launched over 1,500 long-range weapons, and the HRMMU is verifying reports that these attacks have killed at least 19 civilians and injured 205 in just a five-day span. If this is confirmed, June would match or even surpass April and May in total casualties.

In recent weeks, night strikes have been terrorising even those civilians who aren’t near the front line, like those in Kyiv.

‘We’re all exhausted’

Olena, a 35-year-old mother living in Kyiv, feels “more afraid” of late due to the increasing “indiscriminate missile and drone attacks” ripping through Kyiv in the middle of the night while she and her husband, mother and son try to sleep.

She has seen several buildings, including a children’s hospital, reduced to “piles of bricks and metal.”

Olena says she and her son are ‘very exhausted and nervous’

“We are all very exhausted and nervous,” she told The i Paper. “The number of civilian casualties has increased significantly over the past six months due to frequent drones and ballistic missile hit on residential buildings.”

Olena described how the Russians release hundreds of drones into her city, sending civilians running to the shelters for cover while the drones are shot down by Ukrainian air defences.

“After the air raid ends, we go home,” she said. “But then ten minutes later, Russia launches ballistic missiles. We don’t have time to go to the shelter again.”

Recently, she and her son buried themselves in the safest part of their apartment to escape the drones.

“We didn’t have time to go to the shelter, so we hid in the corridor at home, the safest place in the apartment,” she said. “We heard dozens of drones flying over our house, and then there were loud explosions.”

“I am afraid that something bad might happen to my family and friends. I am afraid for my husband and friends who are at war. We had a choice and could have left Ukraine, but this is our home.”

‘Drones are here every night’

Velch said there was no night without an attack in March. “Right now, the attacks go on for seven hours, with constant explosions. Innocent people are getting killed in huge numbers,” she told The i Paper.

Anna Vlasenko, a journalist based in Kyiv, told The i Paper she can hear the sound of hundreds of buzzing drones outside her window all night, most nights.

“The drones are flying lower,” she said. “They are much more difficult to shut down. In the last two attacks, I looked out the window and saw smoke in all directions. It feels that someone has grilled us like meat.”

Anna Vlasenko, a journalist based in Kyiv

The clearest solution, Vlasenko argues, is for the international community to provide military support.

“Peace talks are not bringing any results,” she said. “We need military support to defend ourselves.”

Velch urges the international community to step up immediately.

“You can’t accuse civilians for not taking measurements to protect themselves,” Velch concluded. “The odds are against civilians. We have to act today. The international community should keep the Russian side accountable, not just with statements of concern, but actions to stop this happening. Because right now, huge number of innocent people are getting killed.”