Key facts
- A Russian FPV drone killed four civilians in Sumy Oblast on Sept. 19.
- The attack occurred in the Shostka district, near the Russian border.
- Victims included a 56-year-old woman, a 58-year-old man, a 76-year-old woman, and a 45-year-old man.
A Russian first-person-view (FPV) drone struck a car carrying civilian passengers in Sumy Oblast on Sept. 19, killing four people, regional Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported. The attack occurred in the Shostka district, approximately 44 kilometers (27 miles) from the northeastern border with Russia. The drone directly hit the car, resulting in the deaths of four individuals: a 56-year-old woman and her 58-year-old husband, as well as a 76-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man. Ukrainian regions situated close to Russia and the front lines of the ongoing war are increasingly subjected to barrages of FPV drones, posing a threat to civilians even in daylight. These attacks have been described as a continuation of Russia's practice of training drone operators on civilians before deploying them to eastern Ukraine. FPV drones became prevalent on the battlefield in 2023, significantly altering the nature of warfare due to their low cost, ease of production, and precision targeting capabilities, making movement in areas within their range extremely hazardous.