UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher on Wednesday warned that the recent increase in the use of drones poses a dangerous risk to aid operations, and emphasizes that international humanitarian law prohibiting attacks on humanitarian workers and civilians continues to apply to drone warfare, regardless of how sophisticated or remote the weapons are.
Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, spoke during a visit to Ukraine to mark World Humanitarian Day. After two days in Kherson, he described the city as “permeated by the use of drones against civilian areas.” He stressed that humanitarian workers and civilians are at risk of these weapons shaping the conflict.
Mr Fletcher warned that as remote pilots get further away from their victims, so will responsibility and justice. He also reported a visit to a hospital where 70 percent of the wounded patients were drone survivors, and he saw the aftermath of a drone attack on Kherson Hospital.
In one Video posted on XWhile driving the road from Mykolaiv to Kherson, known locally as the “Road of Death” because of frequent Russian drone strikes, the U.N. official noted that “readily available means to kill exceed accountability.”
Data from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine shows a sharp increase in civilian damage. In July 2026The estimated 437 civilians killed and 2,610 injured represent the highest monthly toll since May 2022. Missiles and drones were responsible for 38 percent of casualties, with drones alone responsible for more than a quarter of deaths and injuries.
While drones are not among the deadliest weapons, they have contributed disproportionately to the recent rise in casualties among non-combat soldiers. Drones are cheap and flexible, enabling attacks both near and far from the front lines.
Although drone technology on both sides of the conflict changes “every week,” Mr. Fletcher stressed that “international humanitarian law is what does not or must not change every week.”
Russia has used drones extensively against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and civilian areas since the start of the all-out war. Ukraine has also carried out large-scale drone strikes deep into Russian territory. Ukraine has also carried out Large-scale drone attacks deep into Russian territory, reflecting an expansion of its own drone capabilities and a strategic shift in targeting military and infrastructure locations within Russia.
While the situation in Ukraine is particularly acute, Fletcher noted that armed drones are transforming warfare in numerous conflicts, from Sudan and Somalia to Colombia, Gaza and Lebanon. In these locations, drones have become a major cause of civilian casualties and a threat to humanitarian work. According to Article 36 According to Additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, new weapons such as drone warfare should be evaluated to ensure that they exist in accordance with international humanitarian law and ensure full protection of civilians.
