Drone pursues vegetable vendor in Kherson – police say it was a targeted attack

Kherson – 05.08.2026: A man runs across a market, seeks shelter behind a delivery van and tries to evade a small drone. Police in the Ukrainian city of Kherson released a video on Tuesday that is said to show the attack. According to the authorities, a 52-year-old vegetable vendor was pursued and injured by an alleged Russian FPV drone.

The man suffered shrapnel injuries and was in shock but survived the attack, police said. His name was not released. The footage shows a brief, frantic escape from the perspective of a ground-level camera. It is not known whether the released material shows the full sequence of events. An independent forensic review of the video was not initially available.

Ukrainian authorities blame Russian forces for the attack. No statement from Moscow regarding the specific allegation was initially known. Ukrainian officials and Kherson residents refer to comparable attacks as a “human safari.” The stark phrase describes the allegation that drone crews deliberately pursue unarmed people on streets or in public squares. However, it does not replace a legal assessment of the individual incident.

Kherson lies on the western bank of the Dnipro and was recaptured by Ukrainian troops in November 2022. Russian units still hold territory on the opposite side of the river. Because of the short distance, the city is regularly exposed to artillery fire and drone attacks. The front line is so close that even everyday trips to the market, work or a bus stop can become life-threatening.

FPV drones are controlled from a first-person perspective: a camera transmits images to the pilot in real time. The small aircraft are relatively maneuverable and can target individual vehicles or people. In densely built-up areas, those affected often have only seconds to find cover. Their military origin or specific launch point usually cannot be determined beyond doubt from brief footage.

UN human rights monitoring found as early as 2025 that short-range drones had become a major cause of civilian casualties in Ukrainian frontline areas. For May 2026, it reported 64 civilians killed and 539 injured nationwide in such attacks. In the Kherson region, 14 people were killed and 221 injured in the same month, according to the UN.

Ukrainian investigators say they are examining which Russian unit and drone crew may have been responsible. Police and prosecutors did not say whether any suspects had already been identified. So far, what has been documented above all is the vendor’s fate: he survived the attack with injuries.