As winter nears, barbaric ‘safari’ attacks show Putin targets civilians as Trump turns blind to Russia’s surge

Attacks reach more cities

Russia is using first-person drones, long-range glide bombs, ballistic rockets and jet-powered Shahed missiles against Ukrainians as winter approaches. The victims include children, mothers and elderly people, and attacks have extended well beyond the front lines.

Kherson, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Kramatorsk are among the places facing attacks. Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, described as Ukrainian strongholds near the front, have also been added to Russian drone routes. Lutsk, in western Ukraine near the Polish border, has come under attack; six people were killed at a market there earlier this month. The article describes drone attacks on civilians as “hunting drone safaris.” In Kherson, Russian pilots use headsets to direct small airborne weapons at people in the open, including women and elderly residents.

Civilians face daily dangers

Kherson deputy administration leader Oleksandr Tolokonnikov says residents must watch where they walk because Russian forces are remotely dropping mines. He describes ordinary movement through the city as increasingly dangerous.

On the day Trump said Russia was “not doing that much” in Ukraine, at least 10 people were killed near Kharkiv, including a baby, her mother and an 11-year-old girl. In Kyiv, parliament foreign affairs committee chair Oleksandr Merezkho says direct hits on apartments near his home have increased.

The article says the war has lasted longer than the First World War. It also notes that Trump’s assessment conflicts with the civilian deaths and damage described across Ukraine.

Air defences face constraints

Ukraine’s ability to protect its airspace has been hampered by a shortage of US-made Patriot missiles and similar weapons. The article also points to limits placed on the speed of Starlink terminals used by Ukrainian anti-missile systems.

Those systems need to travel faster than 300kmph to intercept incoming Shahed jet missiles, but Starlink terminals have recently been restricted to 160kmph. Trump says connectivity has been restored, though the article says that has not been felt on the ground.

Zelensky calls for stronger steps

After cluster bombs were used against Kyiv’s historic centre on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that worse could follow. He argued that easing pressure on Russia reinforces Putin’s belief that his goals are achievable. The article also contrasts Trump’s description of Russia’s conduct with special envoy Steve Witkoff’s characterization of Putin as a “humanitarian.” Zelensky called for stronger signals and steps from Ukraine’s partners.