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.
