'Look, these are vegetables': Survivor recalls terrifying Russian drone pursuit in Kherson
Photo: Mykolaiv region resident targeted in a Russian drone "safari" attack (RBC-Ukraine collage)
An ordinary resident of the Mykolaiv region came to a neighboring regional center to sell vegetables and narrowly survived a drone attack, according to a Telegram post by Kherson Regional Military Administration head Oleksandr Prokudin.
Man survives drone attack in Kherson
The head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration said that Yurii arrived in Kherson with his wife on the morning of August 4 to sell vegetables. As they were just beginning to set up their goods, a Russian drone began hovering above them, according to the official.
The woman managed to run to safety, but the drone then appeared to deliberately pursue the man, the governor said.
For about a minute, the UAV circled around the vehicle, chasing the man as he tried to escape, the governor noted.
He added that the Russian drone operator could clearly see the target — an ordinary man who had come to sell vegetables.
An ordinary resident of the Mykolaiv region came to a neighboring regional center to sell vegetables and narrowly survived a drone attack pic.twitter.com/5aJrWVTWp6
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) August 4, 2026
Testimony of a Mykolaiv region resident
"The drone started flying over my vehicle. I was showing him (the Russian drone operator – ed.) and saying: look, these are vegetables! Eggplants, zucchini... But he began swooping at me, so I ran. Then the drone struck the vehicle," the man recalled.
When the drone dropped an explosive, Yurii was knocked to the ground by the blast. He suffered a concussion, blast injuries, and multiple shrapnel wounds.
"The vehicle has been damaged for the second time already. The first time was when I went to visit my mother-in-law. We managed to escape, but the car was hit," Yurii said.
Doctors said his life is not currently in danger.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that a Russian drone had hovered over a market in Kherson while hunting a civilian vegetable vendor. The 52-year-old resident of the Mykolaiv region survived.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also strongly condemned footage showing what has been described as a drone "safari" targeting civilians in Kherson.
