Ukrainians in the southern city of Kherson live in constant fear of Russian drone attacks.

The threat continues even after the city was liberated in 2022.

The U.N. reports that Russian drones deliberately target civilians in the area; they use cameras to select targets in real time.

The attacks have killed and wounded many and have forced thousands to flee, prompting the U.N. to call these acts crimes against humanity.

Interceptions obtained by The Associated Press from the 310th Separate Marine Electronic Warfare Battalion show Russian FPV drones that appear to be hunting for vehicles.

The videos capture drones flying low over roads and locking onto moving or parked cars — often pickups, supply vehicles, sedans and even clearly marked ambulances — before diving for a strike.

The commander of the 310th Battalion, which protects the skies over 470 kilometers (nearly 300 miles) of southern Ukraine, including Kherson, says at least 300 drones fly toward the city every day.

In October alone, the number of drones that flew over Kherson was 9,000.

“The figure is colossal,” said the battalion’s commander, Dmytro Liashok, a 16-year military veteran and one of Ukraine’s early pioneers in electronic warfare.

Despite the sheer volume of drones — a figure that excludes other types of weapons like artillery and glide bombs — his forces manage to neutralize more than 90%, he said.

According to the U.N. human rights office, short-range drone attacks have become the leading cause of civilian casualties near the front line.

Local authorities say that since July 2024, more than 200 civilians have been killed and more than 2,000 wounded in three southern regions, with most victims being men.

Nearly 3,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed.

AP video shot by Vasilisa Stepanenko