Russia uses Kherson as a training ground for drone operators. Since July 2024 alone, the Russian military has carried out more than 9,500 drone attacks on Kherson and its surroundings.
Points of attention
- Russia uses Kherson as a training ground for drone operators, carrying out more than 9,500 attacks on civilian objects.
- Due to constant attacks by Russian drones, many civilians are leaving Kherson region, reducing the population in the region from one million to 158,000 people.
- The Russian military is attacking military and civilian targets in Kherson, including cars, ambulances, police cars and humanitarian convoys.
- The presence of Russian drones in Kherson is part of Moscow's strategy to force the Dnieper and restore control over the right-bank part of the city.
- Local residents live in constant fear of shelling and drone attacks, taking measures to avoid the risk of dangerous devices being detected.
At least 37 people died and hundreds were injured as a result of Russian shelling in Kherson
As Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, told the publication, Russia has turned the region into a training ground for drone operators.
Part of the best units of UAV operators, who launch advanced models of drones from the other side of the Dnieper, were flown to Kherson. This allows you to practice combat techniques and train new operators.
Russian military and pro-war Telegram channels share dozens of videos of drone attacks on civilian objects.
Investigators from Eyes on Russia (the UK's Center for Information Resilience) found that most of these attacks targeted vehicles that are difficult to replicate in a training environment.
The highest number of drone attacks occurred in September, with 2,748 strikes, during which 155 people were injured. October became the month with the largest number of dead — 12 people. Russian drones have most frequently attacked military vehicles, ambulances, police vehicles, humanitarian convoys and infrastructure facilities, including markets, cafes, gas stations and aid centres.
FPV drones, Chinese Mavic and Russian Lancet are used for attacks.
It is noted that due to constant attacks, more and more civilians are leaving Kherson Oblast.
Before the full-scale invasion, about a million people lived in the region, now only 158 thousand remain. In Kherson itself, the population decreased from 250,000 to 60,000.
Local residents live in constant fear. To protect themselves, many carry detectors that alert them to the approach of drones, or avoid going outside during the day to reduce the risk of detection.
The shelling of Kherson is a potential plan of the Kremlin
The Financial Times suggests that the pressure on civilians is part of Moscow's strategy aimed at forcing the Dnieper and trying to regain control over the right-bank part of Kherson, which was liberated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the fall of 2022.
According to Prokudin, the Russians have gathered about 300 boats for a possible crossing of the river and are planning a new offensive.
They are hunting us. Imagine the psychological impact this has on people, - sums up Oleksandr Prokudin.
