Harrowing footage appears to show a Russian drone pursuing a civilian through the streets of Kherson, with Ukrainian officials accusing Russian president Vladimir Putin's forces of deliberately targeting ordinary people.
The video, which has not been independently verified, shows a man running between parked cars as a drone appears to follow him. Seconds later, the device can be seen exploding mere metres away from him.
Victim survives blast
The 52-year-old man did survive the blast, but has reportedly suffered from shrapnel-related injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
"This is how Russians fight. They deliberately hunt civilians," Ukrainian police said in a statement.
War crime accusations
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the alleged attack as a war crime and described the drone operator as a "sadist".
"This barbaric Russian war crime in Kherson requires international condemnation and justice, yet thousands of similar crimes never reach the public eye," he wrote on X.
"This is a deliberate and systemic Russian strategy. They know exactly what they are doing. The sadist operating this drone knows full well that he is targeting a civilian."
He added: "This horrific video proves that Russian barbarians will try to repeat their genocidal atrocities of [the 2022 massacre in Bucha] wherever they can reach."
Human rights commissioner responds
Ukraine's Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, said the footage laid bare "Russia's real tactic: pursuing and killing innocent people."
"This is not war. It is deliberate terror against civilians," he added. "It is yet another Russian war crime that must receive a proper international legal assessment."
Background on Kherson
Kherson was seized by Russian forces during the early stages of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, before being recaptured by its own countrymen in 2022. Since then, the city has remained under frequent attack from Moscow.
Alongside repeated artillery bombardments, mortar fire, tank shelling and air strikes following its 2022 liberation, the city was also left devastated in 2023 when Russian forces destroyed the nearby Kakhovka Dam in 2023; an attempt to flood and wipeout the city.
Rise in drone attacks on civilians
Drone attacks on civilians have become increasingly common over the past three years, with residents nicknaming the practice the "Human Safari". Since 2024, at least 200 civilians are reported to have been chased down and killed by Russian drone operators in Kherson.
Victims have reportedly included people waiting at bus stops, commuters, children playing in parks, bus drivers and ambulance crews.
Residents have also claimed that some Russian drone operators have deliberately wounded victims and have then waited for first responders to arrive, only to detonate the drone or launch a second strike aimed at those providing assistance.
Videos of such attacks are frequently shared on Russian social media platforms and Telegram channels.
