Video released by Ukrainian authorities appears to show a drone chasing and detonating near a 52-year-old market vendor in Kherson; the man survived with shrapnel wounds, blast injuries and a concussion. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attack as a "barbaric war crime" and described the pilot as a "sadist," urging international justice. The U.N. reported a sharp rise in civilian casualties in the first half of 2026, and Kyiv and Moscow continue to trade conflicting accounts of recent civilian incidents.
Video Shows Drone Chasing Market Vendor In Kherson; Ukraine Calls It A ‘War Crime’
A Ukrainian man (bottom left) was targeted by a Russian drone (top right) with authorities in the former country accusing the latter of a war crime (National Police of Ukraine)
Ukrainian authorities released video they say shows a drone pursuing and then detonating near a 52-year-old market vendor in Kherson, southern Ukraine. The footage, circulated by Ukrainian officials, appears to show the man running around his van as the drone follows before suddenly diving and exploding nearby.
Ukrainian police say the vendor survived but suffered shrapnel wounds, blast injuries and a concussion. The clip ends as a plume of smoke rises from the blast, leaving investigators and officials to condemn the apparent targeting of a civilian.
“This barbaric Russian war crime in Kherson demands international condemnation and justice,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X, adding that the drone pilot was a “sadist” and that many similar incidents do not reach the public eye.
Official Responses And Context
Kyiv has accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians to intimidate the population. Moscow denies intentionally striking civilians and has repeatedly accused Ukraine of causing civilian casualties with drones and long-range missiles.
The man was left with blast injuries, shrapnel wounds and a concussion after the explosion, the aftermath of which is depicted here (National Police of Ukraine)
The incident comes amid a broader spike in civilian harm. In July, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported about 1,396 civilian deaths and 7,978 injuries in the first half of 2026 — a 37% rise from 2025 and more than double the toll recorded in 2024 — attributing much of the increase to intensified long-range missile and drone strikes on urban areas.
Competing Accounts: Gelendzhik And Other Incidents
Russian authorities described a separate recent incident in the Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik — where debris from a drone fell on a crowded beach — as a deliberate strike by Kyiv that killed several people. Ukrainian officials disputed that account, with Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, telling CNN that Russian air defenses likely shot down a drone over the beach, causing debris to fall and injure civilians.
Regional Ukrainian officials also reported other deadly strikes, including guided-bomb attacks in Sumy that local officials said killed an elderly woman and two children. Both Kyiv and Moscow continue to deny deliberately targeting civilians as the conflict, which began with Russia’s 2022 invasion, persists.
What’s Next
Ukrainian leaders are calling for international condemnation, investigations, and stronger defense and deterrence measures for Ukraine. The video has intensified calls for accountability and for improved protections for civilians amid the ongoing escalation of long-range strikes.
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