Russian Hunting Drones Target Civilians in Kherson, Driving Life Underground

A recent report from The Independent reveals a disturbing evolution in Russia‘s assault on Kherson: drone pilots deliberately targeting civilians in what local officials describe as “training exercises” for operators headed to the eastern front.

In liberated but still-besieged Kherson, civilians face a new deadly threat as Russian drone operators across the Dnipro River conduct what amounts to lethal hunting expeditions. These targeted drone strikes have forced essential services underground, including the city’s first bombproof maternity hospital, as residents adapt to life under constant surveillance from the skies.

The Human Hunt: Drone Warfare’s Personal Terror

The drone attacks in Kherson represent a disturbing tactical shift. Unlike indiscriminate artillery shelling, these drone strikes introduce a disturbingly personal dimension to civilian targeting.

Red Cross volunteer Oleksandr Sensky described the horrifying experience of being hunted by a Russian drone while cycling. “He was hovering above me. I had a feeling that he was playing a computer game, dropping bombs on peaceful civilians,” Sensky told reporters from his hospital bed after an attack that tore away part of his leg.

These attacks come from Russian forces positioned just across the Dnipro River, approximately 500 meters from Ukrainian positions. This proximity gives drone operators clear visual feeds of their targets’ reactions and final moments, creating what local officials characterize as a macabre “safari” against the civilian population.

Underground Adaptation: Hospitals Beneath the Surface

In response to the constant threat, Kherson has begun systematically relocating its healthcare facilities underground. The city recently opened its first bombproof maternity hospital by moving operations from the surface facility to its reinforced basement.

Dr. Petro Marenkovskyi, head of the new underground obstetrics department, explained that despite seeing births drop from 1,500-2,000 annually to around 120, the hospital staff remains committed to their work. “With the current demographics situation in our country, we are fighting for every newborn – for every woman who should give birth here in Kherson,” he stated.

The underground facility includes delivery rooms, an operating theater, and intensive care units – all protected by blast-resistant doors. This facility represents the first of what city officials plan to be a network of seven underground hospitals, effectively inverting the city’s healthcare infrastructure to protect it from Russian attacks.

Civilian Impact and Resilience

Since Kherson’s liberation in November 2022, the city has endured daily bombardment from shells, mortars, rockets, and now targeted drone strikes. The population has decreased dramatically from 250,000 to approximately 83,000, including 5,000 children.

According to city military administrator Roman Mrochko, Russian forces appear to be using Kherson’s civilian population for combat training. “Already this year, we have 391 injured, including 39 children, and 40 killed, including four children,” Mrochko reported, adding that intercepted communications confirm Russians are cycling drone units through Kherson for training before deployment to the eastern front.

Despite these conditions, remarkable stories of resilience emerge. Iryna Voskova, a grandmother of nine who survived a mortar attack that left her with a titanium plate in her skull and shrapnel in her brain, has nicknamed herself the “Iron Lady.” Her family has endured multiple attacks, including drone strikes that severely injured her son and an incendiary munition that burned their shared home to the ground in October 2024.

Technical Drone Deployment

The Russian forces employ multiple drone types in these attacks. First-person view (FPV) aircraft can loiter outside visual range before darting in for precision strikes on individual targets. Additionally, larger drones carry bomblets for deployment against civilian infrastructure, particularly targeting transportation systems and gathering points like bus stops.

The effectiveness of these attacks is amplified by the Dnipro River’s narrow width in the city area. At just 500 meters across, the river provides minimal buffer between Russian positions and Ukrainian civilians, allowing drone operators clear lines of sight and short flight times to targets.

DroneXL’s Take

The weaponization of consumer and military Drone Technology against civilian populations represents one of the most disturbing developments in modern warfare. While much attention has focused on drone use at the front lines, the targeted hunting of civilians in Kherson demonstrates how these technologies can transform urban areas into lethal surveillance zones where daily activities become life-threatening risks.

As drone technology continues advancing and proliferating, the international community faces urgent questions about establishing effective countermeasures and regulatory frameworks. The systematic targeting of civilians in Kherson serves as a sobering reminder that drone warfare’s evolution extends beyond military applications to fundamentally reshape civilian life in conflict zones.

Photos courtesy of Anton Gerashchenko / X