A Ukrainian civilian narrowly escaped death Tuesday when a Russian FPV kamikaze drone targeted his market stall in Kherson. The 52-year-old seller was pursued around his van by the drone before it detonated, causing significant damage to the vehicle and leaving him with blast injuries, shrapnel wounds, and concussion.
Ukrainian authorities confirmed the man survived the attack and is receiving medical care. The National Police of Ukraine condemned the incident, stating, "This is how the Russians wage war. They deliberately target civilians." They added that the man was not a combatant and was simply selling goods at the time of the attack, characterizing it as another alleged war crime.
Video footage from the market shows the drone circling and pursuing the man before descending for the attack. The incident occurred amidst a broader pattern of strikes between Russia and Ukraine. Overnight attacks in Ukraine's north-east reportedly killed two children, aged 5 and 10, and a pensioner in Sumy following Russian guided aerial bomb strikes. The children were recovered from the rubble of their home.
In response to the attacks on Ukrainian civilians, Ukrainian forces have increasingly focused on targets within Russia. On Tuesday morning, Russian authorities reported that a drone strike in the Novoselki industrial zone outside Moscow killed five people and wounded six others. Fires broke out at a Wildberries warehouse in the area following the strike.
Further drone activity was reported near Krasny Bor in northwestern Russia, where a Wildberries logistics facility was damaged and one person wounded. Another Wildberries facility in the Tver region was also reportedly damaged by drones, though no injuries were reported in that instance. Ukraine has targeted multiple Wildberries sites, which are considered significant to the Russian economy. The CEO of Wildberries has described these Ukrainian attacks as "acts of terrorism."