In brief
President Volodymyr Zelensky released a video in which a Russian‑operated drone hunts a Kherson street vendor, Yuriy, then explodes upon contact, leaving him with shrapnel injuries. Ukrainian officials have condemned the incident as a war crime and part of a systematic Russian strategy to terrorise civilians near the front line. The footage, first shared by a pro‑Ukrainian account, has been analysed by BBC Verify and geolocated to a market corner in Tavriiskyi district. The UN has called the public posting of such footage an outrage on personal dignity and urged international condemnation of Russia’s drone use.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video on Telegram showing a Russian drone targeting a street vendor in the Kherson region, labeling the act as a “human safari” attack against civilians.
The footage shows the drone chasing a 52‑year‑old vegetable vendor, Yuriy, who tried to escape by hiding behind a white van. The drone dived onto him, exploding and injuring him with shrapnel, while the van was destroyed.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack a barbaric war crime, describing it as part of a deliberate Russian strategy to intimidate civilians near the front line.
BBC Verify geolocated the clip to a market courtyard near a roundabout in Tavriiskyi district, northern Kherson. The video first appeared on a pro‑Ukrainian Instagram in early Tuesday morning and is now being shared worldwide.
UN officials have warned that the practice of posting drone footage that captures civilians’ last moments amounts to an “outrage upon personal dignity.” They call for a global condemnation of Russia’s use of drones to target non‑combatants.
