Horrifying video shows Russian drone chasing vegetable seller before exploding

Russia has repeatedly been accused of targeting civilian Ukrainians and committing war crimes during the more than four years of war, but a new video of an attack has horrified even the most resilient Ukrainians.

In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, a local market vendor was targeted by a low-flying Russian drone as he tried to sell produce near parked cars.

But the scariest part is that the drone clearly chased the man before exploding.

Tried to show the vegetables

The man, identified as 52-year-old Yurii, sprinted between vehicles while the explosive device followed his every move. The drone ultimately detonated right beside a nearby car.

Warning: The video shows both the chase and the explosion. Viewer discretion is advised. Article continues below.

Yurii survived the blast, but doctors treated him for shrapnel wounds across his torso, legs, and arms, alongside a concussion. Speaking from his hospital bed, he recalled trying to show the operator he was harmless.

“I was showing it, saying, ‘Look, vegetables.’ But it started coming straight at me,” Yurii said in a video shared by regional official Oleksandr Prokudin according to CBS News.

“I started running, it hit the vehicle and I was right next to it.”

Hunted in broad daylight

Ukrainian leaders highlighted the video to expose what they describe as a deliberate strategy of terror. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted the footage online, stating that the world “must see” how Russian soldiers “take pleasure in killing and abusing civilians.”

Zelenskyy described the chase as “yet another video of the drone ‘safari’ Russians are carrying out against civilians in Kherson.” Ukraine’s National Police echoed those words, stating, “This is how Russians fight. They deliberately hunt civilians.”

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack “a barbaric Russian war crime” on X. Sybiha added, “The sadist operating this drone knows full well that he is targeting a civilian.”

Rising aerial danger

Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets stated that the footage shows “Russia’s real tactic: pursuing and killing innocent people.”

“The world must watch without looking away. This is how Russia hunts civilians,” Lubinets said. Ever since Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson in late 2022, residents have faced endless strikes from across the Dnipro River.

United Nations data indicates a surge in civilian casualties in 2026, driven by short-range drones over populated zones. Meanwhile, Russian authorities routinely deny targeting non-combatants, while accusing Kyiv of drone strikes inside Russia.

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation