Chilling drone footage shows Russian forces hunting civilians in Kherson market attack

A disturbing video released by Ukrainian authorities sho…

A disturbing video released by Ukrainian authorities shows a Russian military drone stalking a vegetable vendor at a market in Kherson before exploding near him, an attack Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said proves Moscow's forces have "gone mad."

The Aug. 4 incident unfolded at a market in southern Kherson, where the drone hovered over a man standing beside a minibus, then followed him as he moved behind the vehicle. Moments later, the drone dove toward the minibus and detonated near its front, close to where the man had been standing.

"A Russian drone deliberately hunted down a man selling vegetables and detonated right next to him," Zelenskyy wrote on X, sharing the footage. "The Russians even admitted to the crime, showing zero regret and openly boasting about tormenting people. The man was wounded in the blast. Every single day, ordinary people in Kherson face these Russian 'safaris.'"

The street vendor, identified as 52-year-old Yuriy, surv…

The street vendor, identified as 52-year-old Yuriy, survived the near-fatal encounter. Speaking from a hospital bed, he told the BBC that he and his wife were setting up their stall when he heard the drone buzzing nearby. His wife had run away, and the drone zeroed in on Yuriy, who pulled out vegetables to show that he did not have a weapon.

"It could see that I had tomatoes out, some cucumbers and eggplants laid out on the floor," Yuriy told the BBC. "It even ducked under the umbrella when I was running away round the other side."

Ukrainian authorities describe the attack as part of a pattern of Russian drone strikes that track and target civilians, a practice they have dubbed "human safaris." Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack a "barbaric war crime," demanding international intervention.

Zelenskyy argued that everyone should see the video

Zelenskyy argued that everyone should see the video to understand what Russia is capable of, emphasizing that President Vladimir Putin will not stop with Ukraine. "This is not just about Ukraine," he wrote. "Russia's campaign against human life must be stopped here in Ukraine before it spreads further. Finland and Kazakhstan, the Baltic states and Poland, the countries of the South Caucasus, Romania, and Moldova — all should work together to ensure real security guarantees and bring Russia's war to an end."

Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office says authorities have opened 5,303 criminal cases into drone attacks on civilian targets in the Kherson region. The attacks have killed 287 civilians and wounded 2,549 others, including 41 children. Prosecutors said the attacks appeared systematic, with FPV drones repeatedly striking civilians in public places, homes, transport hubs, and civilian vehicles, and in some cases launching follow-up attacks after emergency crews arrived.

The chilling video comes a year after a one-year-old boy was killed by a Russian drone in the Kherson region while playing in his playpen in his grandmother's backyard.