Kherson, once a lively port city on the Dnipro river, is now a war-torn frontline where liberation in November 2022. The river is now a mere separator from constant Russian bombardments, fundamentally changing how war is waged in the 21st century.
This evolution in military technology, which theoretically promises a new era of discriminate warfare where civilian casualties are entirely avoidable, has taken a chilling turn in Kherson. Instead of minimizing harm, Russia is reportedly employing drones to deliberately target civilians, subsequently posting videos of these grim acts on social media platforms. Attacks on individuals at bus stops, commuters, and even children playing in parks are shared and, disturbingly, celebrated online.
This relentless campaign of terror, chillingly termed the ‘Human Safari’ by Kherson’s residents and reported by the Kyiv Independent, tragically contrasts with the supposed precision of drone warfare. It reveals a disturbing misuse of technology, where operators can observe targets up close, theoretically allowing them to confirm and even abort attacks at the last moment.
Drones like the SwitchBlade 300, previously used in Afghanistan and approved for areas where traditional artillery was restricted due to their target confirmation and abort capabilities, are now being weaponized in Kherson. The Kyiv Post highlighted the grim reality, reporting that in July and August, half of Kherson’s casualties were due to drones, with daily attacks sometimes reaching a hundred.
The arsenal consists of various drones, including quadcopters that drop grenades, scout drones that hover ominously searching for victims, and FPV (First Person View) kamikaze drones. Among these, the grenade-dropping bombers, capable of making multiple passes, seem to be the most frequently deployed in these incessant assaults.
A particularly harrowing account, documented by the Kyiv Independent, illustrates the personal impact of these attacks. Anastasia, a mother of two, was cycling home when she was spotted by a Russian drone. She had previously endured two other drone encounters, one forcing her to run at an unprecedented speed, and another involving an attack on the bus she was riding.
Anastasia’s desperate attempts to outrun a relentless drone as she pedaled furiously through Kherson ended in terror. A grenade, dropped by the drone, narrowly missed her body before exploding at her feet. Miraculously, Anastasia survived the blast, but the shrapnel left her permanently unable to walk, a harsh illustration of how these small drone bombs often maim rather than kill outright.
The sheer callousness of these attacks is amplified by the online sharing of the horrific events. Footage of Anastasia’s attack was posted on a Russian Telegram channel with a winking emoji and a taunting message: “The Ukrainian armed forces are riding bikes…this one is a strong 300 [Russian code for an injured soldier]. Evacuation is not allowed.” This open broadcasting of violence against civilians has become a disturbing hallmark of the ongoing campaign.
The Kyiv Post has compiled extensive evidence of these Russian drone attacks, documenting incidents targeting schools, private vehicles, public buses, and even ambulances in Kherson. This systematic assault on civilian areas and non-combatants paints a deeply disturbing picture of the conflict’s current and brutal direction.
Russian justifications for these attacks, shared on social media, often claim that anything within Kherson is a legitimate target. Beyond targeting individuals and vehicles, Russian drones are also reportedly employing a napalm-like mixture to ignite fires, which have devastatingly burned down entire neighborhoods, further demonstrating the breadth of their destructive intent.
An additional, insidious tactic involves using small drones to scatter the infamous Soviet PFM-1 ‘Petal’ or ‘Butterfly’ mines across the landscape. These tiny devices, barely a few inches wide, are powerful enough to shred a vehicle tire or, more devastatingly, to sever a human foot, creating silent, unpredictable dangers for anyone in the area.
The devastating impact of this terror campaign is starkly evident in Kherson’s population decline, which has plummeted from approximately 360,000 residents to only about 80,000. This mass exodus is precisely the goal of the ‘human safari’: to instill widespread fear and force residents to flee, effectively turning Kherson into a ‘grey zone’ vulnerable to undetected infiltration by Russian troops.
Local authorities in Kherson are attempting to implement civil defense measures. The city has allocated 8 million UAH (about $194,000) for urgent anti-drone measures, including jammers that offer some protection. However, these efforts fall significantly short of the required scale, as typical jammers, costing thousands, only protect an area of a few hundred meters at best, leaving vast swathes of the city vulnerable.
From a broader, long-term perspective, these actions represent clear grounds for war crimes investigations, as the Geneva Conventions unequivocally prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians. The perpetrators’ open online documentation of their crimes should, in theory, aid in their identification and prosecution. However, in the immediate and critical short term, the people of Kherson desperately need enhanced protection from these horrifying attacks.
As with other aspects of Ukraine’s air defenses, international assistance has been insufficient in providing adequate support against this specific threat. Ukrainian forces undoubtedly prioritize locating and striking Russian drone teams, they must contend with across the wider conflict.
