Ukrainians are sharing their fears as BBC Verify investigates videos that appear to show drone strikes on civilians. One poignant account comes from Serhiy Dobrovolsky, a hardware trader in Kherson. After returning home one day, he stepped outside for a chat with his neighbor just as a drone flew overhead. Angela, Serhiy’s wife of 32 years, witnessed him run for cover as the drone released a grenade. “He died before the ambulance arrived. A piece of shrapnel pierced his heart,” she recalls, tearfully.
Serhiy is among 30 civilians reported killed in a recent escalation of Russian drone attacks in Kherson, with over 5,000 drone strikes recorded since July 1, according to the city’s military administration. More than 400 civilians have been injured during this period.
Drones have significantly altered the nature of warfare in Ukraine, with both sides using them against military targets. However, eyewitness testimonies and credible evidence suggest that Russia is also employing drones to attack civilians in Kherson.
“They can see who they are killing,” Angela says, questioning the morality of such attacks on civilians. If found to be intentionally targeting non-combatants, these actions could constitute war crimes.
The Russian military has not responded to inquiries regarding these allegations, and has consistently denied targeting civilians since its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Multiple videos circulating on Ukrainian and Russian social media appear to document these drone strikes. BBC Verify examined six of these videos, showing drone operators tracking pedestrians or motorists before releasing grenades, resulting in serious injuries or fatalities.
The earliest public postings of these videos were traced to a Telegram channel that included taunts directed at the Ukrainian public, asserting that all vehicles were valid targets. The account also shared images of drones and thanked contributors for donations.
Kherson’s military administration reported that Russia has shifted to using different types of drones, making it harder for the city’s defense systems to intercept them. “You feel like you’re constantly being hunted,” says Kristina Synia, who works at an aid center near the Dnipro River. “It’s the worst thing.”
To avoid drone detection on her way to work, she drives quickly and uses the cover of trees. At the aid center, a device alerts her to incoming drones, buzzing frequently during our visit.
Residents express visible trauma from their experiences. Valentyna Mykolaivna wipes her tears, explaining, “When we go out, we move from tree to tree for cover. Every day, they attack public buses with drones.”
Olena Kryvchun narrowly escaped a drone strike when a bomb fell through her car’s roof just moments before she planned to get back in. “If I’d been in my car, I would have died. Do I look like a military person?” she questions, lamenting the financial burden of repairing her vehicle.
Olena finds drones more frightening than traditional shelling. “With shelling, we have time to react. But with drones, they strike so quickly; you might not hear them coming.”
Ben Dusing, who runs the aid center, echoes this sentiment, stating that drones instill deeper fear among the populace. “If a drone locks on you, it’s probably game over. There’s no defense against it.”
Oleksandr Prokudin, a spokesperson for Kherson’s military administration, noted that the Russian military is now using drones to drop mines along pedestrian and vehicular routes. He mentioned the use of butterfly mines, which can detonate on contact after gliding to the ground.
The BBC has yet to verify these claims regarding the distribution of mines via drones.
As winter approaches, Olena fears the situation will worsen. “When the leaves fall, there will be many more victims. In the street, there’s nowhere to hide.”
Verification Process for Drone Videos
To analyze the six videos, BBC Verify identified distinctive street features to locate them in eastern Kherson. In one video, a drone dropped an explosive on two pedestrians at a specific T-junction, helping to narrow down the location.
Using visible landmarks, BBC Verify matched video footage to satellite images, confirming where the attacks occurred. The team also searched for the earliest public appearances of the videos, often finding them on a particular Telegram channel before they appeared on platforms like X or Reddit.
By determining the attack locations, BBC Verify calculated the filming times based on shadows and weather records, finding that four of the videos were posted the day after the alleged strikes, and one was shared just eight hours later on the same day.