A Russian unit documented its own war crime by releasing footage of the attack on a UN vehicle
A Russian military unit recorded its own war crime when it attacked a UN vehicle in the frontline Ukrainian city of Kherson with an FPV drone and then released the footage, the Kyiv Independent reports. The footage was later deleted.
Onu vehicle hit by Russians in Kherson PHOTO video capture
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ukraine (OCHA) reported on May 14 that a “clearly marked” vehicle of the organization was hit during a humanitarian mission. UN representatives said they did not know who attacked them. There were no casualties.
“Civilians and aid workers should not be targeted,” said Andrea De Domenico, Head of OCHA in Ukraine. He stated that the UN team was on a mission to assist the captive civilian population in the city under bombardment at the time of the incident.
A day after the attack, Russian military blogger Osvedomitell Alex posted footage on Telegram showing a drone hitting the UN vehicle. The video begins with the logo of the “Dnepr” Force Group, a Russian military unit active in the Kherson region.
Although the post was later deleted, the images continued to circulate on other pro-Russian channels and were redistributed by Ukrainian activist and volunteer Serhii Sternenko.
“The Russians don't even hide it. They are war criminals, and anyone who tries to make a deal with them becomes complicit in these crimes”Sternenko wrote on the X platform.
According to international law, attacking a visibly marked UN vehicle while on a humanitarian mission is a violation of international law and constitutes a war crime.
The pro-Russian channel that published the images tried to justify the attack, claiming that the humanitarian mission did not provide official approvals, notifications or security corridors, and that the Kherson area is considered a “red zone”. The author of the message pointed out that “any unidentified vehicle, especially one approaching the front line without prior arrangements, is considered a dual-use target.”
However, UN representatives contradict this version. Andrea De Domenico said that both the Ukrainian and Russian armies were informed in advance about the movement of the humanitarian convoy.
The incident is not singular. Victoria Andrievska, OCHA's public information officer, explained that this is the second incident in a week, after in the Dnipro region a UN truck was hit in the Dnipropetrovsk region during an aid delivery and the driver was injured.
“I am concerned about repeated cases of violence against aid workers, which raise serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law. Between January and April 2026, three aid workers were killed and ten others injured in 56 incidents.”Andrievska stated.
The city of Kherson, located on the banks of the Dnieper River, remains one of the most dangerous areas in Ukraine. Since its liberation by the Ukrainian army in late 2022, the city has been the constant target of drone and artillery attacks launched by Russian forces.
Ukrainian authorities and activists have repeatedly accused the Russian military of waging a veritable civilian hunting campaign in Kherson, essentially a human safari, using FPV drones to terrorize the population and make the city uninhabitable.
