Video shows Russian drone chasing Ukrainian street vendor in 'human safari' attack

What Happened

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared a video on Telegram showing a Russian drone chasing and exploding on a civilian street vendor in the Kherson region. The victim, identified as 52-year-old Yuriy, survived with multiple shrapnel wounds, concussion, and trauma. The drone pursued him as he ran around a van, and Yuriy said he held up garlic to show he was not filming. BBC Verify geolocated the attack to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called it a 'barbaric war crime' and part of a deliberate Russian strategy to intimidate civilians. A 2025 UN report found that Russian armed forces have recurrently used drones to kill and injure civilians in Kherson, and posting videos of such attacks amounts to an outrage upon personal dignity, a war crime. Russia denies targeting civilians.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The incident exemplifies the Russian military's use of drones to terrorize civilians in front-line areas, a tactic the UN has labeled as war crimes. Zelensky's public sharing aims to galvanize international condemnation and highlight the everyday humanitarian cost of the invasion. The persistence of such attacks despite global scrutiny underscores the difficulty of enforcing accountability and protecting civilians near the front.

Watch For

Potential formal investigations by international bodies (e.g., ICC, UN) into these specific attacks. Statements or sanctions from Western allies in response to evidence of war crimes. Further reports of 'human safari' drone attacks in Kherson or other Ukrainian regions, and any countermeasures Ukraine may take to protect civilians from FPV drones.