A young boy, just over a year old, was tragically killed in a drone attack in southern Ukraine, according to officials. The child, known as Dmytryk, was playing in his grandmother’s yard in Pravdyne when a drone struck, causing shrapnel to penetrate his heart. The toddler had celebrated his first birthday only two months prior.
Dmytryk’s grandmother, Halyna, 64, recounted the horrifying incident. She described hearing the drone’s buzzing sound before it struck. Despite rushing to the child’s aid, it was too late. Images from the aftermath show the devastation, with glass and debris scattered across the child’s play area and parts of the house’s fence blown away.
Oleksandr Prokudin, a senior military official in Ukraine, confirmed the incident. He stated that Dmytryk was killed instantly by the blast, which also caused Halyna to suffer a concussion. Both Russia and Ukraine employ “first person view” (FPV) drones, which allow soldiers to remotely control the aircraft while viewing live footage. These drones can drop bombs or crash into targets, causing them to explode.
The use of such drones has instilled fear in the local population of Kherson, Ukraine. The drones have been used to target civilians, leading to a chilling description of the area as a “human safari zone.” Andriy Yermak, an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that the attack was not accidental. He suggested that the drone operator had a clear view of the child and attacked deliberately.
Lt. Denis Yaroslavsky, a commander in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, echoed Yermak’s sentiments. He suggested that the attack was intentional, pointing to Russia’s policy of using convicts in the war. He also noted the psychological difference between killing in person and via drone, likening the latter to a computer game.
Kherson has been subjected to numerous drone attacks since the summer of 2024, resulting in nearly 150 civilian deaths and hundreds of injuries, according to the United Nations. The Human Rights Watch group has reported hundreds of these strikes over the past year, along with attacks from grenades, landmines, and other incendiary weapons.
The drones used in these attacks are small quadcopters, which allow for greater maneuverability and precision. They can be operated using a smartphone or handheld controller, and can target individual humans with deadly accuracy. The Human Rights Watch group has documented at least 45 drone attacks that appear to deliberately target civilians and civilian infrastructure.
The United Nations has found Russia guilty of crimes against humanity over the drone attacks in Kherson. The UN Human Rights Council stated that the evidence collected leaves no doubt that the perpetrators intended to carry out these acts. The council concluded that the Russian armed forces committed the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against civilians in Kherson Province.
The attacks in Kherson are part of a larger escalation of drone attacks across Ukraine. Experts suggest that the increase in aerial attacks indicates that Russia has completed its drone-manufacturing plants and is ramping up production. Christina Harward, a Russia analyst for the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War think tank, stated that the new Russian drones have been modified from the original Iranian Shahed version.