Drones chase minibuses, people live in basements: Russia terrorizes Ukrainian city

The occupiers have intensified shelling of the civilian town of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia region. Although the city is covered with netting, the number of drones attacking civilians has increased several times over.

The enemy is using almost its entire range of drones: from reconnaissance Orlans to Lancet strike drones, FPVs, and Molnias. People who still remain in the city are afraid to go outside, as they become targets for Russian operators.

This was reported in a TSN story.

Life here stopped in an instant: abandoned children’s sports clothes, certificates, posters, and victory pennants on the walls. Svitlana, whom we met in the city, once brought her son to this sports school.

Boats that were about to be launched for training have been stuck on land for years. The roof is pierced, walls are scarred, kayaks are riddled with holes, and explosions echo through the city.

On the pier, children’s laughter has long since fallen silent. Young athletes of the Olympic reserve who once trained here have scattered around the world with their parents, leaving their dreams of great sports on the banks of the Konka near the shattered sports school.

“Strike drones fly every half hour. Their goal, as we understand, is not so much to disrupt military logistics as to terrorize and intimidate the local population so they leave Orikhiv and do not help the Ukrainian Armed Forces. A few days ago, a drone landed on the roof of a minibus—fortunately it didn’t explode, and no one was injured. Earlier, a drone chased a minibus in a part of the city without netting. It caught up—the vehicle was damaged, and the driver is in intensive care,” said Serhiy Skibchyk, press officer of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

Orikhiv lies in ruins. All apartment buildings have been destroyed by air bombs and shells. Private houses are burned by kamikaze drones. Danger hangs over local residents every minute from the sky.

Svitlana went out for milk while rain, which hinders drones, was falling. She lives with her elderly parents and stays in her city because of them, despite being on the line of fire.

Elderly people still remain in Orikhiv. All civilian infrastructure in the city has been destroyed. The constant buzzing of enemy copters fills the air.