Ukraine street vendor survives drone attack in Kherson; Zelensky shares video

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has released a video showing a 52-year-old street vendor narrowly escaping a drone attack in the southern city of Kherson. The man, identified only as Yuriy, sustained shrapnel wounds and a concussion but survived the incident, which has been verified by the BBC.

The video, shared by Zelensky on social media, depicts a drone circling above the vendor's stall before exploding near him. Such attacks, described by some Ukrainians as “human safari,” have become a recurring feature of the conflict in front-line areas, where remotely operated drones are used to target civilians. The term reflects the alarming frequency with which ordinary people going about their daily lives are subjected to these aerial strikes.

Kherson, which lies just a few miles from the current front line, has been repeatedly exposed to shelling and drone attacks since Ukrainian forces recaptured the city in November 2022. The area remains under constant threat from Russian forces positioned across the Dnipro River. Residents, including street vendors like Yuriy, continue to carry out their work despite the dangers, as the city's economy struggles to function amid frequent disruptions to water, power, and supply lines.

The use of drones to target individual civilians has drawn international condemnation, but Russia has consistently denied deliberately targeting non-combatants. Moscow maintains that its military operations are directed at Ukrainian military infrastructure and units, and that any civilian casualties are unintended consequences of the ongoing war. However, video evidence and on-the-ground reporting by organizations such as the BBC and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have documented numerous instances of attacks that appear to have specifically targeted civilians or civilian areas.

The incident in Kherson highlights the broader human cost of the conflict, which has now entered its third year. According to the UN, thousands of civilians have been killed or injured since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The psychological toll on those living in front-line regions is immense, with residents living under constant threat of drone strikes, artillery shelling, and sniper fire.

In his nightly address, Zelensky used the video to renew his call for more air-defence systems and drone countermeasures from Western allies. “Every such attack proves that the terrorist state will not stop unless we have the means to stop them,” he said. “We need more support to protect our people from these machines of death.”

The man in the video, Yuriy, was treated at a local hospital for his injuries and has since been discharged. In brief comments to Ukrainian media, he said he was grateful to be alive but described the constant fear that pervades daily life in Kherson. “They are hunting us like animals,” he said. “We are not soldiers. We are just trying to sell vegetables to feed our families.”

The term “human safari” is not official military terminology but has gained currency among Ukrainian residents and soldiers who describe the practice of using drones to stalk and attack individual civilians. This tactic, which relies on the drone operator's ability to observe the target in real time, is seen as a deliberate effort to terrorize the population and make normal life impossible.

The United Nations has called for an independent investigation into attacks on civilians in Ukraine, and human rights groups have documented widespread violations of international humanitarian law. However, accountability remains elusive, as the war continues with no end in sight.

The BBC's Paul Adams, reporting from Kyiv, notes that while this particular attack did not result in a fatality, it serves as a stark reminder of the daily dangers faced by those living near the front line. “The drone that targeted Yuriy was not aimed at a military installation or a strategic asset,” Adams said. “It was aimed at one man selling vegetables. That is the reality of this war for many Ukrainians.”