A Russian drone attack on a civilian minibus in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson killed at least four people and wounded several others on Wednesday, according to the regional prosecutor's office. The strike is the latest in a series of attacks that Kyiv says deliberately target civilians, a charge Moscow denies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted images of the damaged vehicle on X, writing that it was "absolutely clear" the bus was carrying civilian passengers. "The vicious Russian 'safari' against our people in Kherson has long gone beyond anything a normal person could imagine," he said.
Kherson, a city on the Dnipro River that was liberated by Ukrainian forces in November 2022, has been under near-constant fire from Russian positions on the eastern bank. Local police have repeatedly reported that Russian forces use drones against civilians, vehicles, public transport, and even emergency workers on a daily basis.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian police accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting a civilian at a market in Kherson. In a Telegram post, they wrote: "This is exactly how the Russians are fighting their war — they deliberately target civilians," noting that the man in the video "shows no signs of being a combatant, he is simply selling vegetables and fruit at the market."
The attack on the minibus comes just a week after Russian strikes hit two passenger trains in the Odesa region, killing two people and injuring a child. The pattern of attacks on civilian infrastructure has drawn international condemnation, with the United Kingdom recently reaffirming its support for Ukraine despite Russian threats.
Rising civilian toll
The United Nations has documented a sharp increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine. In July, at least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured, a 30 percent increase compared with the previous month and a 70 percent increase compared with July 2025, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission. That figure marks the highest monthly death toll since May 2022, the early months of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The UN body also noted that Russian authorities have reported a rise in civilian casualties on Russian territory, citing 250 civilians killed and 1,596 injured in the first six months of 2026, a 121 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025.
Overnight into Wednesday, Russia launched two ballistic missiles and 65 drones at Ukraine, local media reported. In the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, two people were killed and at least ten injured by Russian drone strikes, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov.
The use of drones in the conflict has expanded beyond the battlefield, with both sides employing them for reconnaissance and attacks on civilian areas. European nations are also grappling with the broader threat of drones, as seen in France's prisons facing drone-delivered contraband and Germany opening a drone security hub in Saxony-Anhalt.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on Western allies to provide more air defense systems to protect Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. The recent spike in civilian deaths underscores the urgent need for additional support, as the war enters its fourth year with no end in sight.
