A video circulated on social media shows a Russian military drone chasing a Ukrainian street vendor in what Ukraine has called a ‘human safari’ attack. The clip, released by the BBC, depicts the drone following the vendor as he attempts to flee, raising concerns about the targeting of civilians during the conflict.
The footage shows the drone circling over a market area and then pursuing a vegetable seller who tries to escape. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the act, labeling it a violation of international humanitarian law. The South China Morning Post reports that the vendor was chased down, and that the incident has sparked condemnation from Ukrainian officials. While the video confirms the presence of a drone in the area, no further details about the drone type or the identity of the operator are provided in the available reports.
The incident occurs amid an escalation of drone usage on both sides of the Russia‑Ukraine conflict, with recent reports of Ukrainian drones striking near Moscow and Russian drones reportedly causing civilian casualties on beaches. Such attacks highlight the growing risk to non‑combatants in the broader war.