Ukraine accuses Russia of drone attacks on civilians in Cherson On August 4, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of conducting a targeted campaign using drones to attack civilians in the southern city of Cherson. The accusation was based on a video circulating online that shows a drone pursuing a vegetable seller before exploding near him. The incident has sparked renewed calls for international pressure on Moscow to end the war. The footage, which has received millions of views on social media platforms, depicts a man standing beside a truck with a green awning set up nearby. Pallets of boxes lie on the ground. As the drone approaches, the man appears to plead for safety, moving behind his vehicle in an attempt to evade the aerial threat. The drone continues its pursuit and eventually explodes close to him. According to local authorities, the man survived with minor injuries, though he sustained shrapnel wounds and a head injury. Zelenskyy shared the video on social media, describing the incident as part of a broader “drone safari” carried out by Russian forces against civilians in Cherson. He called for increased international pressure on Moscow to end the conflict, emphasizing that the issue goes beyond Ukraine’s borders. “It is not just about us,” he wrote, urging neighboring countries to collaborate for real security guarantees and an end to the war. The video initially surfaced on a Telegram channel in Cherson before being shared with local police. Its origin remains unclear. Verification experts from ARD-aktuell confirmed that the footage was filmed in Cherson and showed no signs of manipulation. Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, stated the video was recorded on the day of the attack. According to the Cherson regional military administration, the man in the video, identified as Yuriy, had been selling vegetables when the drone approached. He attempted to communicate with the pilot, showing him tomatoes and eggplants to prove his innocence. Despite this, the drone continued its pursuit and exploded near him. A separate video released by the head of Cherson's military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, shows Yuriy recounting the incident while seated on a hospital bed. The United Nations Human Rights Council had previously condemned similar drone strikes in Cherson as crimes against humanity and murder. In May 2025, the council concluded that Russian forces were systematically targeting civilians with precision-guided drones, often resulting in death or severe injury. These attacks have become increasingly frequent since the two sides have been entrenched along the banks of the Dnipro River, with Cherson serving as a focal point of contention. Russian troops have maintained positions just across the river from Cherson since the beginning of the war, allowing them to launch attacks with drones and artillery. The city has been under constant bombardment, with residents reporting regular sightings of drones circling overhead. Local authorities claim these attacks are part of a deliberate strategy to intimidate civilians and disrupt daily life. Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for greater international attention to the situation, accusing Russia of not only failing to conceal such acts but actively publicizing them. He referenced reports from Russian military bloggers who have described the attacks as surgical operations conducted by “surgeons.” One such account claimed the victim’s vehicle had previously been observed transporting potentially military cargo, though no evidence supports this claim. The incident underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Cherson, where civilian casualties continue to rise despite repeated appeals for protection. With both sides locked in a bitter struggle over territory, the use of drones has become a grim tool of warfare, leaving families in fear and communities in disarray. As the conflict drags on, the world watches closely, hoping for a resolution that brings peace and justice to those caught in the crossfire.
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