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Russian 'Drone Safari' Tactics Continue to Target Civilians in Kherson

In Kherson, drone attacks continue to pose a significant threat to civilians. Russian drones are flying low over the Dnipro River daily, targeting emergency responders, commuters, and the elderly, according to a January 31 report by The Times.
Kateryna Drobinina, 53, recovering in Kherson's Luchansky City Clinical Hospital, recounts a close encounter with a drone. She and her husband were sheltering after a bombing when a drone dropped a grenade on them. “We were hunted, like a sport,” she said.
Since December, Russian drones have increasingly targeted central Kherson. Local residents face daily dangers, as highlighted by a January 2025 attack on a bus. A suicide drone struck the vehicle, killing two passengers and injuring several others.
Kherson, liberated by Ukrainian forces in 2022, now faces a new wave of attacks. Drones, including DJI Mavic models and FPV suicide drones, drop grenades, bombs, and mines, contributing to a rise in amputations among civilians.
The weather affects the frequency of strikes, with sunny days bringing more attacks. Locals find brief relief during cloudy or rainy days, which allow them to evacuate and gather supplies.
Local authorities have recorded over 12,000 drone attacks between August and December 2024, resulting in 64 deaths and 609 injuries. Kherson’s regional military administration views these attacks as a campaign of terror, aiming to force residents to flee.
To counter the threat, the city has implemented defensive measures, including drone detection systems.
Despite these efforts, the toll continues to rise, the attacks are indiscriminate, with medical staff among the victims.
In the past seven months, Russian drones have killed an oncologist, an ambulance driver, and several medical workers, while destroying 23 ambulances.
Surgeon Vitaliy Khomukha, who has treated hundreds of drone casualties, expresses concern not only for the civilian toll but for the apparent enjoyment the Russian drone operators take in the attacks. “It’s like a video game to them,” he said, referencing the mocking voiceovers in the videos of the strikes.
In the summer of 2024, Russian authorities deported over 3,000 children from the Kherson region, according to Ukraine's Ombudsman for Human Rights , Dmytro Lubinets. The children were taken under the pretext of "vacation" programs.