Russian FPV drone operators killed two evacuating civilians in Sumy Oblast, officials say, calling it a war crime and part of systematic attacks on civilians.

Russian FPV drone operators deliberately attacked unarmed civilians, the Joint Forces Task Force reported.

The Russians committed another war crime on Tuesday, January 27, near the village of Hrabovske in Sumy Oblast: they killed two civilians with drones while the victims were attempting to evacuate. This is stated in a Telegram post by the Joint Forces Task Force, according to Korrespondent.net.

A man and a woman were trying to evacuate on their own from the occupied territory. Ukrainian servicemen were aware of their route and were coordinating the evacuation.

“Russian FPV drone operators deliberately and deliberately targeted unarmed civilians. The first strike hit a woman, killing her instantly. The second strike was carried out against the wounded man who was next to the victim’s body,” the statement said.

Video footage recorded by the Defense Forces shows no military facilities or personnel in the strike area and clearly indicates that those killed were civilians.

“This incident is not isolated. The systematic use of FPV drones and other means of attack against civilians attempting to leave occupied territories has become part of Russia’s tactics in the Sumy sector in 2025–2026,” the post said.

Such crimes by the Russians are committed to intimidate civilians, forcibly keep them in occupied territories, and create a humanitarian catastrophe.

The Office of the Prosecutor General reported that a pre-trial investigation has been launched into a war crime resulting in a civilian death (Part 2, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

“Prosecutors, together with other law enforcement agencies, are documenting the consequences of yet another crime committed by the Russian army against the civilian population,” the statement said.

As a reminder, Russian forces struck the village of Cherkaske in Donetsk Oblast with two Shahed-type attack drones. Four people were killed, including a five-year-old boy.