- Yuri, a 52-year-old vegetable vendor, was targeted by a Russian FPV drone while unloading vegetables at a market in Kherson's Tavriiskyi district.
- The drone lunged at Yuri multiple times, ducking under an umbrella as he ran, before exploding next to his van.
- Yuri survived the attack but suffered shrapnel wounds, blast injuries, concussion, and burns; it was the second time he had been targeted.
- Ukraine's National Police released a video on Tuesday, calling it another war crime.
- President Zelenskyy shared the footage, labeling it a Russian 'drone safari' against civilians and stating that Russia showed 'zero regret' and even admitted to the crime.
- Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned the attack as a 'barbaric war crime' and part of a deliberate Russian strategy to intimidate civilians.
- A 2025 UN report found that Russian forces 'recurrently killed and injured civilians' with drones in the area.
- At least 130 Kherson residents, including three children, were killed in this manner in 2025, with another 1,195 injured, according to the city's governor.
A shocking video released by Ukraine’s National Police shows a Russian drone deliberately hunting a civilian vendor in Kherson, raising alarms over the targeting of non-combatants.
President Zelenskyy condemned the attack, calling it a 'drone safari' and emphasizing that Russian forces exhibit 'zero regret' for their actions.5
The vendor, identified as Yuriy, 52, was selling vegetables when the drone struck, resulting in shrapnel wounds, concussion, and trauma. He described the harrowing experience, stating, “It even ducked under the umbrella when I was running away.”1
Ukrainian authorities are documenting this incident as yet another war crime, with law enforcement noting that 18 civilians were injured and two killed in the Kherson region on a recent Sunday alone.
Zelenskyy urged the world to recognize the brutality of these attacks, asserting, “The world must see this. It must see every piece of evidence that Russia has gone mad.”
The Kherson region remains partially occupied by Russian forces, and drone attacks against civilians have become a daily occurrence, with reports indicating that at least 130 residents have been killed in similar incidents since the beginning of the conflict.
Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, described the drone operator as a 'sadist' targeting civilians, demanding international condemnation and justice for these acts.6
The ongoing conflict has seen Russia employing drones to instill fear among civilians, with the Kherson region being a focal point of these tactics since its capture in March 2022.
“Yuri, 52, told officials the drone ducked under his umbrella as he fled and that it was the second time he had been targeted. Police say Russian drones strike Kherson civilians almost daily, with 18 hurt and two killed in the region on Sunday alone.”
Euronews.com
