In brief
A chilling video shared by Ukraine’s President shows a Russian drone targeting a street vendor in southern Kherson, a tactic dubbed a 'human safari'. The drone chased a 52‑year‑old vegetable seller, Yuriy, and detonated near him, leaving injuries and a destroyed van. Ukrainian officials and the UN condemn the attack as a deliberate war crime aimed at terrorizing civilians. The footage has been widely circulated, highlighting the brutality of the Russian campaign.
Video shows a Russian drone chasing a Ukrainian street vendor in a so‑called 'human safari' attack.
The clip, shared by President Zelensky, captures a drone hunting a man on a city street in the Kherson region. Yuriy, a 52‑year‑old vegetable seller, tried to flee but the drone followed him, eventually diving and exploding near him, causing injuries and wrecking his van.
Russian forces have used remotely‑operated drones to target civilians, a strategy described by Ukrainian officials as intentional terror. “The world must see this,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram, urging condemnation as a barbaric war crime.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the attack as part of a systematic campaign aimed at intimidating people. A UN report cited similar incidents in 2025, indicating ongoing assaults on civilians in frontline areas.
Yuriy later appeared in a hospital video, warning that the drone recognized his vegetable displays and even ducked under an umbrella to get closer.
BBC Verify traced the footage’s location to a market space beside a roundabout in the Tavriiskyi district, northern Kherson.
