Russia denies targeting civilians in the war triggered by its invasion of its smaller neighbour in February 2022. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
A Russian drone strike on a minibus in Ukraine’s southern city of Kherson killed four people on Wednesday (August 18, 2026), Ukrainian authorities said, in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as a “vicious” attack.
Another woman was killed and a man wounded in a separate drone attack on a car in the central part of the city, the governor of the surrounding region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said on the Telegram messaging app.
The four passengers – a man and three women – were killed in a morning attack on the minibus, Mr. Prokudin said on Telegram. There was no immediate comment from Russia on the incident. Russia denies targeting civilians in the war triggered by its invasion of its smaller neighbour in February 2022.
“The vicious Russian ‘safari’ against our people in Kherson has long gone beyond anything a normal person could imagine,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on X.
“These are the realities of everyday life in Ukraine’s frontline regions. While partners hesitate over additional supplies of defence equipment, the Russians have long run wild.”
Ukrainians have coined the term “safari” to describe drones “hunting down” civilians or vehicles in the street. Earlier this month, Ukraine released a video showing a drone chasing down and wounding a vegetable seller in Kherson.
Mr. Prokudin said that four passengers and the minibus driver were wounded in the attack. He posted blurred photos of a yellow bus with bloodied steps, shattered windows and footage from inside the vehicle with its floor covered in blood and a hole in its roof.
Mr. Prokudin said the Russian operator of the drone must have seen he was targeting a civilian vehicle.
“Despite this, the operator dropped the explosive directly on to the roof of the bus,” he said.
Published – August 19, 2026 10:03 pm IST
