Human Safari in Kherson Amid Russian Drone Strikes

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In early September, Olha Chernyshova's life took a terrifying turn during what seemed like a routine evening in Kherson. After finishing her workday, she stepped out of her car, only to be greeted by an ominous buzzing sound. Instantly, she knew it wasn’t a harmless insect. She sprinted toward her home’s entrance as an explosion rocked the yard behind her. A drone had dropped an explosive on her car, leaving her frozen in shock.

 

 

When she returned to the yard, the scene was grim. Broken glass and plastic littered the ground, and nearby lay a small metal cylinder. Panicked, Chernyshova contacted the police, who dispatched a team to safely remove an undetonated fragment of a grenade. That day, other drones had targeted neighboring cars, leaving three of her neighbors injured.

 

 

Speaking a week later near her home, with the constant threat of drones overhead, Chernyshova expressed her fear about the future. “Where will we hide once the leaves are gone? It will be an open season on people. I need to work on more drone safety measures.” Chernyshova, the owner of a small grocery store in Kherson, resides in a city that has been under constant Russian attack since its liberation from occupation in late 2022. From enduring heavy shelling to surviving the devastation caused by the flooding triggered by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, the people of Kherson are no strangers to suffering.

 

 

However, a new horror has emerged: Russian kamikaze drones, often modified commercial FPV (first-person view) models, are now being deployed to hunt civilians. These drones, typically used in combat zones to target military personnel and tanks, have become a weapon of terror in Kherson. Separated from Russian forces only by the Dnipro River, civilians in the city find themselves routinely in the crosshairs, prompting locals to label this cruel tactic as “a human safari.”

 

“Drones are now flying in groups and attacking everything that moves,” said Serhii, a former volunteer turned taxi driver. “Our charity hub had to close because trucks can no longer deliver humanitarian aid.” This disruption has crippled local businesses and raised fears of worsening conditions as winter approaches, with potential food and fuel shortages on the horizon.

 

Drone attacks have become so frequent that Chernyshova has taken matters into her own hands. Authorized by the Kherson administration, she has started to develop drone safety guidelines for her community. With support from the online platform Dovidka.info, her recommendations have been transformed into posters aimed at educating residents about drone safety in Kherson and other frontline regions. “Drones are a real pain for Kherson. Everyone is a target,” said Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration. He revealed that in July and August 2024 alone, the region saw an average of 100 drone strikes per day. By early September, those numbers spiked dramatically, with 330 drone strikes and 224 explosive drops reported in a single day.

 

Residents recount harrowing experiences of modified commercial drones targeting them as they go about their daily lives. Svitlana, a local doctor, explained how reconnaissance drones scout the area before an FPV drone appears, often loaded with grenades or even explosives disguised as household items. “First, you see a reconnaissance drone like a Mavic… then comes an FPV drone, dropping a grenade on you. A 90-year-old woman was badly injured next door in her yard,” she recounted.

 

The Ukrainian military’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams are constantly responding to drone attacks. A sapper, speaking anonymously, shared his terrifying encounters. “Often, as I drive to the location, drones chase my car. They do ‘double taps,’ striking first responders and sappers.” Armed with just an AK rifle, he described the difficulty of hitting these small drones, which fly at high altitudes and attack with precision. When he isn’t dodging explosives, he’s left to sift through the debris, often finding evidence of the drones' deadly payloads amidst the wreckage of civilian lives.

 

The sapper also revealed that Russian drone operators regularly post footage of these attacks on Telegram, boasting of their disregard for international laws that prohibit targeting civilians. “They believe the anonymity protects them from prosecution,” he said. According to intercepted Russian communications, it appears that drone operators may be honing their skills by practicing on Kherson’s civilians, treating every moving target as an opportunity for training.

 

For Chernyshova and the people of Kherson, surviving each day is now a constant battle as the drones relentlessly hunt them from the skies.

 

Based on a report from: Kyiv Independent 2024-10-04