A Russian drone was filmed tracking a civilian on a street in Kherson, then exploded nearby, injuring the man. Ukrainian officials have condemned the attack, calling it a deliberate hunt of civilians.
An online video captured the moment a Russian FPV drone (with pilot’s perspective view) was following a civilian in Kherson. The man started running among parked cars, trying to evade, while the low-flying drone kept following him. A few moments later, it exploded just a few steps away from him.
The victim, a 52-year-old vegetable seller from a local market, survived the attack. "I was showing the drone: 'Look, there are vegetables,' but it started flying straight towards me," he recounted in an interview from the hospital published by the military administration of the Kherson region, cited by The Kyiv Independent.
According to the Military Administration of the city of Kherson, the man suffered injuries caused by the blast wave. The National Police of Ukraine announced that he was hospitalized with injuries from the blast wave, shrapnel wounds, and a concussion.
Ukraine's Reaction: This Is How Russia Fights
"This is how the Russians fight. They deliberately hunt civilians," transmitted the Ukrainian police.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sîbiha described the incident as a "barbaric Russian war crime," stating that it reflects a broader Russian strategy of terrorizing civilians.
"The sadist operating this drone knows very well that he is targeting a civilian," Sîbiha wrote on the X platform.
Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner, Dmitro Lubineț, also condemned the attack, stating that the footage reveals "Russia's real tactic: tracking and killing innocent people."
"The world must look without turning away. This is how Russia hunts civilians," he said.
Zelenski: Russians Go on Safari
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky strongly reacted to this attack on a civilian, accusing Russia of conducting a safari against innocent people.
"Today, many were shocked by another video recording of the 'safari' with drones that the Russians are carrying out against civilians in Kherson. A Russian drone deliberately hunted a man selling vegetables and exploded right next to him. The Russians openly admitted the crime, showing no remorse and openly boasting about tormenting people. The man was injured in the explosion. Every day, ordinary people in Kherson face these Russian 'safaris'," he wrote on X.
"The world must see this. Every piece of evidence that Russia has lost its mind and its soldiers find pleasure in killing and abusing civilians must be seen. Without pressure on Russia, without neutralizing its capacity for aggression, and without real security guarantees, it is simply impossible to imagine that the world could coexist with this evil.
We must stand firm in defending life. We must act and support life in ways that compel Russia to take peace seriously, instead of expanding the reach of drones," Zelensky emphasized.
Civilians Targeted
The city of Kherson has been subjected to almost daily attacks since Ukrainian forces liberated the city in November 2022. Russian troops, positioned on the other side of the Dnieper River, continue to strike the regional capital with artillery, guided bombs, and increasingly, with FPV drones, notes Kyiv Post.
The United Nations has reported an increase in the number of civilian casualties across Ukraine in 2026, partly due to the increasingly frequent use of short-range action drones against populated areas.
Russian authorities frequently accuse Ukraine of targeting civilians in drone attacks on Russian territory, accusations that Kyiv has consistently denied.
T.D.