At least four people were killed and five women injured when a Russian FPV drone struck a civilian minibus in Kherson's Korabelnyi district. Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin called the attack part of a "brutal" campaign against civilians, while nine others were wounded in strikes over the past 24 hours that damaged apartment blocks, a restaurant and vehicles. The UN humanitarian chief said Kherson faces thousands of drone strikes weekly. Ukraine reported two Iskander-M missiles and 65 drones and other munitions overnight, with 10 breaching defenses.
At Least Four Killed, Five Injured After Russian Drone Strikes Civilian Minibus in Kherson
A drone strike on a minibus in the Ukrainian frontline city of Kherson killed at least 4 people and injured 5 others amid a rise in Russian attacks on the approximately one-third of the province still controlled by Ukraine. File photo by State Emergency Service of Ukraine/EPA-EFE
Aug. 19 — At least four people were killed and five women were wounded when a Russian First-Person-View (FPV) drone struck a civilian minibus in the Korabelnyi district of Kherson city on Wednesday morning, local officials said.
Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said in an online post that the five injured women were receiving hospital treatment. He added that within the previous 24 hours nine other people had been wounded in Russian strikes that damaged three apartment blocks, a restaurant and several cars.
"This morning, the Russians hit an ordinary minibus in Kherson with a First-Person-View drone. It is clear that the bus was civilian. The brutal Russian 'safari' against our people in Kherson has long gone beyond what any normal person can imagine," Prokudin wrote.
President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated calls for stronger defense support on X, criticizing partners for hesitation: "While partners hesitate over additional supplies of defense equipment, the Russians have gone long beyond the bounds of what is acceptable."
Tom Fletcher, the United Nations' humanitarian chief who recently visited Mykolaiv and Kherson, told BBC Radio that Kherson has been struck by "thousands of drones each week" and that civilians report feeling targeted. Moscow maintains it restricts strikes to legitimate military and military-related targets.
Russian forces overran Kherson province early in the 2022 invasion and later annexed it; Ukraine's autumn 2022 counter-offensive pushed Russian forces back and recaptured roughly a third of the province, including the city of Kherson.
Ukraine's Air Force said in a Telegram update that overnight attacks across the north, south and east involved two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 65 drones and other munitions. The military reported that air defenses intercepted most of the incoming weapons but that 10 penetrated defenses and struck their targets. Debris from downed missiles and drones fell in three additional locations.
Local authorities continue to investigate the minibus strike and assist the wounded. Humanitarian officials and international observers have expressed alarm at the increasing toll on civilians and infrastructure in frontline regions.
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