<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/18/drones-carrying-explosives-stalk-streets-of-kherson-ukraine-russia>
"Sasha Ustenko has survived three attacks by the Russian drones that stalk the
streets of Kherson carrying fragmentation grenades to drop on anything that
moves. The first, in late July, targeted a parked police car in central Kherson
just as Ustenko walked past, throwing him to the ground. The second, in
mid-August, hit a drinking water tanker as he queued for supplies, killing the
driver. Ustenko was concussed, and came round to see a man lying in a pool of
blood.
The third time, in late September, he heard the drone buzzing above and
sprinted for shelter under the branches of a cherry tree. He hoped its leaves
would hide him but the grenade tumbled through the canopy and landed barely a
metre away.
The explosion ripped his left index finger apart. He is left-handed, so at 51
he is learning to write again with his other hand. When he speaks, his
sentences sometimes peter out, the impact of multiple concussions, and he
struggles to stand because of repeated blast injuries to his back.
Two years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, civilians living in the frontline
city of Kherson are grappling with the new threat from small civilian drones
adapted to carry explosives.
On social media, Russian soldiers openly boast that their objective is anyone
or anything that moves. Since the drones began swarming the city in July, there
have been thousands of attacks each month, killing 24 civilians and injuring
hundreds more.
“The hunt has started,” urged one Telegram post above a satellite image of an
ordinary van. “Any black minivan must be destroyed no matter where are they
going.”
They have dropped grenades on buses and people waiting at bus stops, civilians
on bikes and queueing for humanitarian aid, or, like Ustenko, just walking home
with shopping."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
