Inside Ukraine’s eerie ‘drone tunnel’ where ‘human safari’ slaughter is so intense that kids learn how to save parents

A HAUNTING “drone tunnel” littered with burned-out cars is a grim daily reminder of the brutality of war for Ukrainians. Vladimir Putin‘s killer drones have been known to target civilians rushing across a long stretch of road where speed limits no longer matter due to the fear of a deadly attack. Anti-drone netting above the M14 highway between Kherson and Mykolaiv which is considered extremely dangerous due to Russian drones Credit: The Times Children in Kherson are being taught how to perform life-saving health care due to the sheer number of attacks Credit: Andriushchenko Oleksandr The street market on Myru Street is covered with anti drone netting in Kherson Credit: The Times Cars burn on a street after a Russian military strike on Kherson Credit: AFP The so-called tunnel over the M14 highway between Kherson and Mykolaiv is easily recognisable by the stench of burning rubber and the sight of mangled metal. Dozens of anti-drone nets also sit above the road in an attempt to fend off the daily strikes by Kremlin forces. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Still, Putin’s men are regularly able to smash through the mesh in pursuit of civilian victims in Kherson. Andreas Tölke, head of German humanitarian organisation Be an Angel, called the drone tunnel “a journey between life and death”. Children are taught how to stop bleeding and apply bandages Credit: Andriushchenko Oleksandr The street market on Myru Street is covered with anti drone netting in Kherson Credit: The Times He said: “Along the roadside, you see burnt-out cars and private vehicles. “Everyone here is a target. The same picture can be seen throughout the city. If you do not get to safety quickly enough, you die.” The drive into Kherson begins long before the city comes into view. The last military checkpoint has been pushed away from the city as Russian drones extend their reach. Most read in The Sun A vegetable seller was hunted down by a Russian drone in Kherson in a so-called ‘human safari’ hunting mission Credit: Ukrainian Police The drone exploded after it smashed into the man’s grocery stall Credit: Instagram Once through the checkpoint, drivers accelerate into what locals have now dubbed the “drone tunnel”. They then have seconds to speed through and escape the waiting drones who can quickly latch onto their positions and hunt down cars with terrifying ease. Burned-out cars and vehicles riddled with shrapnel can be seen left on the roadside, silent evidence of attacks that have become part of everyday life. It comes amid reports of Russian FPV drones regularly attacking civilians across the city in what residents refer to as “human safari” attacks. Huge swathes of Kherson is hidden under drone nets Credit: The Times Are Russian civilians paying drone pilots to carry out sick ‘human safari’ attacks? TWISTED Russian civilians have been accused of paying for sick “human safari” hunting missions targeting defenceless Ukrainians on the streets. Drone pilots working within the Russian army are “wilfully targeting civilians for monetary gain” under Vladimir Putin‘s evil rule, a former Nato analyst told The Sun. Dr Patrick Bury, a warfare and counter-terrorism expert and former Nato analyst, says the brutality highlights how Putin has created a regime which is “completely rotten to the core”. He told The Sun: “[Russia is] going in and they’re basically intentionally targeting civilians. “It’s become known as the Kherson safari, essentially civilian hunting missions. Read more here. Drone operators are accused of deliberately targeting people, cars, and public transport. Some sick Russian civilians are even facing shocking claims they pay soldiers to carry out the drone attacks and catch it all on camera. According to locals, FPV drone pilots even attack people in their homes, by flying in through the windows. Sunny Kherson, home to the sweetest watermelons, was once known for its loving community, flooded with smiling people on the streets. A midwife at the maternity hospital, Kherson shows a car and an ambulance damaged by a Russian rocket Credit: The Times Illiushy Kulyka Street is also covered with anti drone netting in Kherson Credit: The Times Now it has turned into a real-life dystopian, apocalyptic town. Andreas Tölke added: “Each visit over the past three years has revealed another deterioration in the city’s well-being. “Every time I return, the situation gets worse. “The attacks have become so widespread that Ukrainians refer to them as ‘Human Safari.’ “Videos of these strikes are regularly published on Russian Telegram channels, turning the killing of civilians into propaganda and entertainment. “Every day, people are injured or killed.” The situation had become so bad that now children in Kherson are being taught how to stop severe bleeding, apply tourniquets, and keep an injured person alive until medics can arrive on the scene. In a dangerous city where ambulances can’t always reach victims immediately, volunteers say a child may need to become the first responder if a parent is badly wounded. A Russian FPV drone burns in a wheat field in the Kharkiv region after crashing Credit: AP Schools in Kherson remain shut due to the dangers of war. Kids instead gather in underground bomb shelters that serve as a community centre, classroom, and meeting place for locals. Many children spend much of their day inside these protective bubbles as their loved ones continue to work or fight on the frontlines. Mark Friedrich, a critical care paramedic and founder of the Ambulance for Kids NGO who helps in these shelters, is now teaching life-saving medical lessons to these children. He said: “My intention is to protect the children. We used artificial blood to simulate realistic injuries and allow children to practice under conditions that resembled real emergencies. “We taught the kids how to apply a tourniquet, treat deep wounds, use chest seals, and control life-threatening bleeding. “One of the learning scenarios was: ‘What should you do if your mother is injured during a drone attack?’ “Stop the bleeding, apply a tourniquet if necessary, and keep her alive until professional medical help arrives.” A Russian ‘human safari’ attack appears to show a Ukrainian man being targeted in the latest footage Credit: Facebook The drone pilot appears to toy with the man, chasing him, before it explodes Credit: Facebook Volunteer Roman Poliychuk coordinated the training together with Friedrich. He continued: “The children ranged from seven-year-olds to older teenagers. “One seven-year-old boy, whose father serves in the Ukrainian military, already understood many of the safety procedures because his mother regularly discussed emergency situations with him.” The two vital workers say that they often overhear the children speaking out the terrifying reality of living in a war zone. Friedrich and Poliychuk have evacuated more than 100 families from frontline regions since the war erupted in 2022. They help transport families and critically ill children in specialised ambulances to hospitals in Ukraine or take them safely across into Europe. Tölke’s Be an Angel group have also helped evacuate around 24,000 people from frontline regions since the start of the full-scale invasion. Comment now