Russian drone attacks kill five in Ukraine's Kherson, governor says

Russian drone attacks kill five in Ukraine's Kherson, governor notes Updated – August 19, 2026 10: 04 pm IST.

Key points

• 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.
• According to Prokudin, four passengers and the minibus driver were wounded ‌in the attack.
• Prokudin remarked the Russian operator of the drone must have seen he was targeting a ‌civilian vehicle.
• The four passengers – a ‌man ⁠and three women – were killed in a ⁠morning attack on the minibus, Mr.

Russia denies targeting civilians in the ‌war triggered by its invasion of its smaller neighbour in February 2022. File Photo Credit: Reuters.

In practice, a Russian drone strike on a minibus in Ukraine's southern city of Kherson killed ‌four individuals on Wednesday (August 18, 2026), Ukrainian authorities stated, 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, remarked ‌on the Telegram messaging app.

Notably, the four passengers – a ‌man ⁠and three women – were killed in a ⁠morning attack on the minibus, Mr. Prokudin remarked 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 remarked on X.

"These are the realities of everyday life in Ukraine's frontline regions. While partners hesitate ⁠over extra 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 published a video showing a drone chasing down and wounding a vegetable seller in Kherson.

Mr. According to Prokudin, 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 remarked 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 remarked.

For now, russian drone attacks kill five in Ukraine' s Kherson, governor says remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.