Drone attack footage on Kherson civilian sparks outcry over Russian 'Human Safari' tactics

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted footage online showing a drone tracking down a civilian in southern Ukraine, calling it proof of a Russian "safari" attack on civilians.

In the viral video seen by TNX Africa, the clip depicted an aerial drone following a street vendor along a street in Kherson.

The seller tries to dodge the hovering craft, but it pursues him around a white van before diving down and detonating against him.

In accordance with BBC, a medical officer reported that the man survived with several shrapnel injuries, a concussion, and severe shock.

These targeted drone strikes against civilians often labelled "human safaris" are frequently deployed by Russian forces to spread terror among residents near the front lines.

Zelensky posted on Telegram that the global community needs to witness this proof, stating it shows Russian forces taking pleasure in harming innocent people.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, condemned the incident as a brutal war crime.

He noted that these strikes are a calculated tactic and emphasized that the drone pilot clearly realized they were targeting an unarmed citizen.

He urged international leaders to denounce the ongoing intimidation.

"The world must see this. It must see every piece of evidence that Russia has gone mad, and every fact that Russian soldiers are enjoying killings and tormenting people,” President Zelensky wrote in Ukrainian on Telegram.

Kherson's local governor later shared footage of the victim, a 52-year-old produce seller named Yuriy, recovering in a hospital room.

Yuriy explained that he and his spouse were unpacking produce crates by their vehicle when he noticed a sharp buzzing noise overhead. After his wife fled, the aircraft zeroed in on him.

He gestured toward the lens with garlic to demonstrate he was not carrying a camera or phone. According to Yuriy, the operator could plainly see his display of fresh produce, yet the drone even maneuvered under his stall umbrella to follow him as he ran.

The event occurred at a market area near a roundabout in northern Kherson's Tavriiskyi district. While the original recorder remains unknown, the footage first surfaced publicly on a pro-Ukrainian social media channel.

Such drone pursuits have occurred repeatedly throughout Kherson due to its close proximity to active combat zones.

A United Nations investigation noted that Russian forces regularly use remotely piloted aircraft to strike civilians in the region.

The UN also pointed out that sharing videos of these strikes online violates human rights by mocking the dignity of victims.

Moscow, which initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, continues to deny deliberately striking non-combatants.

The term "human safari" refers to an intentional Russian campaign of terror directed at non-combatants in Kherson, Ukraine.

Beginning in May 2024, Russian armed forces have regularly deployed unmanned aerial vehicles carrying hand grenades and various explosives to strike innocent people throughout the full-scale war.

Data from an October 2025 United Nations human rights report indicates that these drone assaults in the region have claimed at least 200 civilian lives and left more than 2,000 injured.