Is the Kremlin Targeting Civilians? Zelenskyy Shares Video of Alleged Russian Drone Chasing Vendor in Kherson

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims Russia is targeting civilians, sharing a video of a vendor running away from an unmanned aerial vehicle. The drone detonated near the civilian, who was thrown off by the blast. Just a day ago, it was Russia that claimed that Ukraine is targeting civilians following a drone crash at a Black Sea beach.

'Today, many were shocked by yet another video of the drone "safari" Russians are carrying out against civilians in Kherson,' Zelenskyy said on his official X (formerly Twitter) account. '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 regret and openly boasting about tormenting people.'

What Is a Safari Video?

Ukraine started calling the drones specifically targeting civilians as human or drone 'safaris.' Kyiv has claimed that Russian drone operators often upload drone point-of-views of these attacks. The vendor, identified as Yuriy, suffered a blast trauma, concussion and shrapnel wounds on both his legs.

In an interview, Yuriy, 52, said that he was merely setting up his market stall when the drone came out of nowhere. He had set up bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and others. When the drone appeared, he tried to run around his van and his showcase.

At one point, he faced the drone and begged in Ukrainian: 'I got up and started asking him: Can you see? It's garlic. That's all,' Yuri said, referring to the garlic in his hands. He was cleaning the vegetable when the drone appeared.

'It started chasing me,' recalled Yuriy. 'I told my wife, "run!" And I stared there because there's just a field. There were about 200 meters to the shelter. Many some athletes can run, but I can't.'

Vendor Explains Showcase to the Chasing Drone

While the drone was chasing him, Yuriy kept showing his goods, which were harmless. Yuriy, who was interviewed shortly after the doctor treated his wounds, shared that it wasn't the first time a drone became a threat to his life and livelihood. Before the 4 August 2026 drone chase, another drone hit his boxes of goods while also damaging his vehicle.

The damaged vehicle is under repair and Yuriy really wanted to save his last transportation. 'I wanted to save the car... We had one car left; we had another car they destroyed,' said Yuriy, who was surprised at being a target. He never even served in the army.

The doctor who treated Yuriy described his condition as 'moderately severe' upon arrival to the hospital. 'Fortunately, all his injuries were non-penetrating, with no damage to the internal organs,' the doctor said. Yuriy was in good spirits after the treatment and even laughed at one point when he was sharing that he was holding two garlic heads while trying to play hide-and-seek with the drone.

Was It Retaliation?

On Tuesday, 3 August, seven people were killed, including three children, and 40 others were injured when a Ukrainian drone crashed at a cliffside in the Arkhipo-Osipovka/Gelendzhik area. Russia quickly condemned the said civilian attack. But Kyiv clarified that Russian interference caused the UAV crash.

Zelenskyy pleaded with neighbouring countries to help end the Russian war and ultimately keep civilians safe.