A chilling video showing a Russian drone allegedly circling above a Ukrainian market stall as a civilian desperately tries to escape has sparked outrage and accusations of a deliberate campaign against ordinary people.
The footage, released by Ukrainian authorities, appears to show a 52-year-old man running around his van as a drone hovers overhead in Kherson — a city that has endured relentless Russian attacks since the invasion began.
The man was not carrying a weapon. He was not wearing a military uniform. According to Ukraine’s National Police, he was simply selling vegetables at a local market.
Yet officials claim he was still treated as a target, the Kyiv Post reported.
“The man in the video shows no signs of being a combatant; he is simply selling goods at the market,” the police said. “However, to the Russian military, he is still a target.”
Today, many were shocked by yet another video of the drone “safari” Russians are carrying out against civilians in Kherson. A Russian drone deliberately hunted down a man selling vegetables and detonated right next to him. The Russians even admitted to the crime, showing zero… pic.twitter.com/uGjC7esFwR
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 4, 2026
The man survived the attack but suffered blast trauma, shrapnel injuries and concussion. Medical teams are continuing to treat him.
Ukrainian officials described the footage as deeply disturbing, saying it showed the reality of the war faced by civilians living near the frontline.
“These images make your blood run cold and fill your heart with rage,” police said, adding that investigators were documenting what they described as another suspected war crime.
Ukraine’s acting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of carrying out a deliberate strategy of targeting civilians, claiming the drone operator would have known the victim was not a soldier.
“This is a deliberate and systemic Russian strategy,” Sybiha said. “They know exactly what they are doing.”
The attack has reignited international scrutiny over Russia’s conduct in occupied and frontline areas, with Ukrainian officials warning that similar incidents could continue wherever Russian forces have the ability to strike.
Kyiv has repeatedly accused Moscow of using terror tactics designed not only to damage military targets but to intimidate civilian populations.
For residents of Kherson, the footage has become another symbol of a war where even a trip to sell produce at a market can turn into a fight for survival.
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