Ukrainian drone operators targeted two unarmed men and their dog, according to a disturbing video circulating online
Two Ukrainian civilians who attempted to reach Russian military positions while carrying a white flag were fatally struck in direct FPV drone attacks by Kiev’s forces, according to reports from Russian media.
The disturbing video, obtained by RIA Novosti and TASS on Monday, shows unarmed men walking along a dirt road, reportedly outside the village of Petropavlovka near Kupyansk in the Kharkov region.
In the footage, an FPV drone hovers in front of the first man for several seconds as he walks forward, accompanied by a dog. The drone then swoops down and strikes him directly in the torso as he attempts to duck. The man is apparently killed instantly, while the dog can be seen writhing in pain.
The second man drops his belongings and slowly approaches the scene, making the sign of the cross over the first victim’s body. Later in the footage, he too is apparently struck by a drone.
It remains unclear when exactly the video was recorded. The reported incident comes amid intensified fighting around Kupyansk, where the Russian Ministry of Defence says a large number of Ukrainian troops have been encircled.
In late October, the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, reported to President Vladimir Putin that around 5,500 Ukrainian servicemen had been surrounded in Krasnoarmeysk, with another 5,000 troops blocked in Dimitrov (Mirnograd) and Kupyansk.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky previously described the situation as “difficult,” but denied any encirclement and accused Moscow of exaggerating its battlefield gains.
Last week, Putin stated that Moscow was prepared to halt offensive operations and allow Ukrainian and foreign journalists to visit the front line to “see with their own eyes” that Ukrainian troops were trapped in the three towns.
Kiev, however, barred media workers from making the trip. The Russian Defense Ministry has accused Kiev of deceiving both the Ukrainian public and the international community about its military setbacks. Officials also reported that Ukrainian soldiers have increasingly attempted to approach Russian positions under white flags in recent days.
