Ukraine has accused Russia of committing a war crime after a drone attack targeted a street vendor in Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine near the front lines of the ongoing conflict. Video footage released by Ukrainian authorities shows a small, remotely controlled drone pursuing a man in his fifties as he sets up a market stall near his van. The drone appears to make multiple close passes before crashing and detonating beside the vehicle. The vendor, identified only as Yuriy, sustained shock, concussion, shrapnel injuries, and burns but survived the incident. Ukrainian officials say this was the second time Yuriy has been targeted by such drone attacks.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized the attack as part of a deliberate Russian campaign to intimidate and terrorize civilians in the region. He condemned the drone operator, calling them a “sadist,” and called for increased international support and security guarantees for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky also denounced the attack as “evil,” emphasizing that it reflects a pattern of deliberate abuse and violence against noncombatants by Russian forces. Ukrainian authorities in Kherson reported that at least 130 civilians, including children, have died in similar drone attacks in 2025 alone, with more than a thousand injured.

The drone used in the attack is believed to be a small, first-person view (FPV) quadcopter equipped with a camera and carrying an explosive payload. Ukrainian officials allege Russian forces deploy such drones extensively to target civilians in Kherson, which was occupied by Russian troops from March to November 2022 before being retaken by Ukraine. The city remains a contested area, with surrounding regions still under Moscow’s control.

While Ukraine accuses Russia of these attacks, both Moscow and Kyiv officially deny targeting civilians in the broader conflict that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia has accused Ukraine of terrorism following recent drone strikes on Russian territory, including an attack on the Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik that killed seven people, including children. Ukrainian officials have stated that some drones shot down by Russian air defenses fall in populated areas by accident.

In parallel with the drone incident in Kherson, reports from occupied Crimea indicate a shooting by a Russian soldier who killed several people, including fellow servicemen and civilians, before being detained; the motive remains unclear. Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued to strike targets inside Russia, focusing recently on warehouses owned by the e-commerce company Wildberries, which Kyiv says supplies dual-use goods to the Russian military.

The conflict continues to see a significant rise in civilian casualties. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported a 37 percent increase in civilian deaths in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year, attributing the surge largely to intensified missile and drone strikes on urban centers by Russian forces. Ukrainian officials highlight these attacks as evidence of ongoing war crimes, while also calling for international condemnation and support to deter further violence against civilians.