Ukraine's National Police has released video footage showing a Russian drone targeting a civilian at a farmers' market in Kherson, southern Ukraine. {claim:14}
The footage shows a drone chasing a 52-year-old man who was selling vegetables and fruit. {claim:2,3}
The man survived the attack but sustained a concussion, blast injuries, and shrapnel wounds. {claim:4}
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the footage as evidence of a Russian 'drone safari' against civilians, stating that a drone hunted a man selling vegetables and detonated next to him. {claim:17,18}
This is exactly how the Russians are fighting their war — they deliberately target civilians.
— Ukraine's National Police
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha branded the drone's pilot a 'sadist' and accused them of knowingly targeting a civilian. {claim:5}
Sybiha stated that the incident in Kherson demands international justice and condemnation, noting that many similar crimes do not reach the public eye. {claim:6}
The National Police noted the man showed no signs of being a combatant. {claim:16}
Ukrainian police stated that Russian forces use drones against emergency workers, vehicles, public transport, and civilians in Kherson almost every day. {claim:20}
In the Kherson region, 18 civilians were injured and two were killed on a Sunday. {claim:21}
Casualty trends and regional strikes
The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that civilian deaths in the first half of 2026 increased by 37 percent compared to 2025 and more than doubled 2024 records. {claim:9}
1,396 deaths
Civilian deaths recorded by the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine during the first six months of 2026.
In Sumy, regional governor Oleh Hryborov confirmed on X that an elderly woman and two children were killed during Russian guided bomb strikes overnight. {claim:10}
In Russia, Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of the Krasnodar region, described a drone debris incident in Gelendzhik as a 'deliberate strike' by Kyiv that killed seven people. {claim:11}
However, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian government’s Center for Countering Disinformation, attributed the Gelendzhik incident to Russian air defense forces shooting down a drone over a beach. {claim:12}
Since the start of the war in February 2022, both Ukraine and Russia have denied targeting civilians. {claim:13}
The Kherson region remains partially occupied by Russian forces on the left bank of the Dnipro River. {claim:22}
Updates
The footage reveals that an FPV drone pursued the man around a parked vehicle before detonating its explosive charge. Ukrainian authorities noted that such FPV drones are increasingly targeting civilians near the front line, while President Zelenskyy criticized Moscow's forces for showing “zero regret” and boasting about the attack.
The drone involved in the attack has been identified as an FPV drone that detonated its explosive charge after pursuing the man around a parked vehicle. President Zelenskyy stated that Moscow's forces showed “zero regret” and even boasted about the attack. Additionally, improvised anti-drone netting has been deployed across major roads leading into Kherson's city center in response to the ongoing threats.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with a concussion, trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries after his van was destroyed. BBC Verify geolocated the footage to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized these drone strikes as a “deliberate and systemic Russian strategy.”
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who escaped the FPV drone attack with a concussion and multiple shrapnel injuries after the device detonated and destroyed his van. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized these drone strikes as a 'deliberate and systemic Russian strategy,' while BBC Verify geolocated the footage to a market space in northern Kherson's Tavriiskyi district.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who sustained a concussion, trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries after the FPV drone detonated and destroyed his van. BBC Verify geolocated the incident to a market near a roundabout in northern Kherson's Tavriiskyi district. Additionally, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized these drone attacks as a deliberate and systemic Russian strategy.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old street vendor Yuriy, who sustained a concussion, trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries after an FPV drone destroyed his van and pursued him under an umbrella. BBC Verify geolocated the incident to a market space near a roundabout in northern Kherson's Tavriiskyi district. Additionally, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized these drone attacks as a “deliberate and systemic Russian strategy.”
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with a concussion and shrapnel injuries after it destroyed his van. BBC Verify geolocated the footage to a market area in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson, where the drone pursued the man around a vehicle before detonating. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and President Zelenskyy have since characterized the incident as part of a deliberate Russian strategy, with Zelenskyy calling for increased international pressure on Moscow.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who escaped the FPV drone attack with a concussion, trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries after the device destroyed his van. BBC Verify geolocated the footage to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described such drone strikes as a “deliberate and systemic Russian strategy.”
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries. BBC Verify and Reuters confirmed the incident took place at a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson. Ukrainian officials, including President Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, characterized the attack as a deliberate and systemic Russian strategy aimed at hunting civilians.
The victim, identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries, though his life is not in danger. BBC Verify and Reuters geolocated the footage to a market space in northern Kherson's Tavriiskyi district. Ukrainian officials and the UN emphasized that such incidents reflect a systemic Russian strategy of targeting civilians, noting an uptick in civilian deaths throughout 2026.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with a concussion, shrapnel injuries, and blast trauma. According to local officials, the drone destroyed Yuriy's van and pursued him around a parked vehicle before detonating. BBC Verify and Reuters have geolocated the attack to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson.
The victim has been identified as Yuriy, a 52-year-old vegetable vendor who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries. While the drone destroyed his van, local authorities confirmed his life is not in danger. BBC Verify and Reuters have geolocated the incident to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old Yuriy, a vegetable vendor who survived the FPV drone attack with a concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries. BBC Verify and Reuters have geolocated the incident to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson, where the drone pursuit also resulted in the destruction of Yuriy's van. Ukrainian officials, including President Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, have characterized the attack as part of a deliberate Russian strategy to target civilians.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and shrapnel injuries. BBC Verify and Reuters have geolocated the footage to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson, confirming the drone pursued the man around a vehicle before detonating. Ukrainian officials and the UN have characterized the incident as part of a systematic pattern of Russian drone strikes targeting civilians in the region.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old Yuriy, a street vegetable vendor who survived the FPV drone attack with a concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries. BBC Verify and Reuters have geolocated the footage to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson, appearing to show the drone pursuing the man around his van before detonating. Ukrainian authorities and President Zelenskyy have further characterized the incident as part of a broader, systematic Russian strategy of targeting civilians near the front line.
The victim, identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, survived the FPV drone attack but sustained a concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries. While the drone destroyed his van, local officials and the Kherson governor confirmed that his life is not in danger. Verification by news agencies and experts has geolocated the incident to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old Yuriy, a vegetable vendor who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, shrapnel wounds, and blast trauma. Following the incident, Ukrainian authorities and officials, including President Zelenskyy and Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, described the footage as evidence of a systematic Russian tactic to hunt and terrorize civilians. Local investigations and geolocations have confirmed the attack took place at a market in the Tavriiskyi district of Kherson.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and shrapnel injuries. The drone, which destroyed Yuriy's van, was seen pursuing him around a vehicle before detonating, while Ukrainian officials and President Zelenskyy described the incident as part of a systematic Russian strategy of targeting civilians. Authorities also noted that the market where the attack occurred was a minibus-turned-market, and the incident has been documented as a potential war crime by law enforcement.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old street vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with blast trauma, shrapnel wounds, and a concussion. Verified reports and geolocation experts confirm the incident occurred at a market in Kherson's Tavriiskyi district, where the drone pursued Yuriy around a vehicle before detonating. President Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials have further condemned the attack, stating it is part of a systemic pattern where Russian forces derive pleasure from targeting civilians.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old Yuriy, a local vegetable vendor who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries. The attack occurred at a market in the Tavriiskyi district of Kherson, where the drone pursued the man near his van before detonating. Ukrainian officials and President Zelenskyy have further characterized the incident as part of a systematic Russian strategy to target civilians and expressed that Russian forces appear to be enjoying these killings.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries. Following the incident, which occurred at a market near a roundabout in northern Kherson, officials and the victim reported that the drone pursued him around a van before detonating. President Zelenskyy and Ukrainian authorities have further characterized the attack as part of a systematic Russian strategy to target civilians.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old street vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with blast trauma, shrapnel wounds, and a concussion. While the drone destroyed his van, local officials confirmed his life is not in danger. Investigations by BBC Verify and Reuters have geolocated the incident to a market in northern Kherson's Tavriiskyi district.
The victim, identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries. Local authorities and the Kherson governor confirmed he is not in life-threatening condition, despite the drone destroying his van and pursuing him around his vehicle. BBC Verify and Reuters have geolocated the incident to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the attack with concussion, blast trauma, and shrapnel injuries. The footage, which has been geolocated to a market in northern Kherson, shows a remotely piloted FPV drone pursuing Yuriy around his van before detonating. Ukrainian officials and the UN have noted that such incidents reflect a systematic pattern of targeting civilians in the region.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries. The attack, which occurred at a market in the Tavriiskyi district of Kherson, destroyed Yuriy's van and involved a drone that pursued him around a vehicle before detonating. Ukrainian officials and the UN have highlighted the incident as part of a systematic pattern of targeting civilians in the region.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, shrapnel injuries, and blast trauma. While the drone destroyed his van during the pursuit, Ukrainian authorities and local officials confirmed the man is not in life-threatening condition. Analysts and investigators have since geolocated the footage to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and multiple shrapnel injuries. Following the incident, which took place at a market in the Tavriiskyi district, Ukrainian authorities and officials like Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha have characterized the strike as a deliberate part of a systemic Russian strategy. Local news and verification experts have confirmed the footage's authenticity, noting the drone pursued the man around his van before detonating.
The victim has been identified as Yuriy, a 52-year-old vegetable vendor who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, shrapnel wounds, and blast trauma. BBC Verify and Reuters geolocated the footage to a market area in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson, while Ukrainian officials described the incident as part of a deliberate and systemic Russian strategy. President Zelenskyy added that the footage serves as evidence of Russian soldiers 'taking pleasure in killing and abusing civilians.'
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, shrapnel wounds, and blast trauma. Investigations and geolocations by BBC Verify and Reuters confirmed the incident occurred at a market in northern Kherson's Tavriiskyi district. While Ukrainian officials and the victim report he survived despite his injuries, the drone also destroyed his delivery van during the pursuit.
The victim, identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and shrapnel injuries, though his life is not in danger. Verifications by BBC Verify, Reuters, and ARD-aktuell have confirmed the footage depicts a market in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson, where the drone pursued the man around his vehicle before detonating. Ukrainian officials, including President Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, characterized the incident as part of a deliberate Russian strategy to target civilians.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old street vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and shrapnel injuries. While news reports vary on the severity of his condition, Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin stated Yuriy survived 'by miracle' and his life is not in danger. The attack occurred at a local market near a roundabout in the Tavriiskyi district, destroying Yuriy's van in the process.
The victim was identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, shrapnel injuries, and blast trauma, though his life is not in danger. The incident, which occurred at a market in northern Kherson, destroyed Yuriy's van and involved a drone that pursued him around a vehicle before detonating. Ukrainian officials and investigators have described the attack as part of a systematic Russian strategy to target civilians in the region.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old Yuriy, a street vendor who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, shrapnel wounds, and blast trauma. BBC Verify and Reuters have geolocated the footage to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson. Ukrainian authorities and President Zelenskyy have further characterized the incident as part of a deliberate Russian strategy to target civilians.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, blast trauma, and shrapnel injuries, though his life is not in danger. BBC Verify and Reuters have geolocated the incident to a market space in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson. Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, have characterized the attack as a deliberate part of a systemic Russian strategy to target civilians.
The victim has been identified as 52-year-old vegetable vendor Yuriy, who survived the FPV drone attack with concussion, shrapnel wounds, and blast trauma. The attack, which occurred at a market following a pursuit of the man around his van, destroyed his vehicle and was described by President Zelenskyy as evidence of Russian forces 'taking pleasure in killing and abusing civilians.'
