In Ukraine, Russia tries to sow panic with ‘safari’ strikes
When two Russian bombs hit Kateryna Lahuta's seafood business in the city of Zaporizhzhia last month, they shattered the last semblance of security for the entrepreneur.
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine - Last month, Russian bombs struck Kateryna Lahuta's seafood business, ending the fleeting sense of safety the 41-year-old entrepreneur had known. Since Russia's invasion in 2022, forces have been entrenched just south of the key manufacturing city of Zaporizhzhia, a city of around 700,000 people, relentlessly bombarding it with missiles and drones.
However, a fresh onslaught of attacks has made life more perilous for residents, marking a shift in Russia's escalating air war on Ukrainian cities as it makes slow progress on the front lines. "Even six months ago, it was still frightening, of course, and there were strikes," Lahuta expressed. "But now it's like a 'safari'." Ukrainians have coined the term "safari" to describe drones relentlessly pursuing civilians or vehicles on the streets - a nightmare scenario that Kherson, a smaller southern city on the front lines, has long endured.
Journalists visiting Lahuta's business were forced to take cover upon hearing the buzzing sound of a first-person-view (FPV) drone - the small, agile helicopter drones armed with explosives and remotely piloted by video that have transformed Ukraine's front lines into a "kill zone."
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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