A Russian ambulance crew in Kherson Region narrowly escaped with their lives from a Ukrainian drone attack, local officials have said. The crew managed to flee the vehicle before it was struck, however, the incident prevented the medics from saving an injured civilian who ended up dying of his wounds, the officials added.
The dramatic story of the miraculous escape was recounted on Monday by Kherson Governor Vladimir Saldo, who accused Ukraine and “NATO mercenaries” of “yet another war crime” against local residents.
He said that the night before, a Ukrainian heavy Baba Yaga drone had chased a lone ambulance for several kilometers as it rushed to help an injured 54-year-old civilian in a village on the bank of the Dnieper River.
The vehicle’s driver managed to dodge as many as five attacks, although nearby explosions damaged the wheels, Saldo said, adding that the blasts had forced the ambulance to finally stop in its tracks. With the vehicle disabled, the crew was able to bail out and take cover before another blast hit the ambulance directly.
While the medics were fortunate, the same could not be said for the injured civilian who died of his wounds before help could arrive, the governor said.
“There is no doubt that the non-humans who piloted the drone saw very clearly that they were attacking a car with a red cross... We are not fighting a regular army, but moral scum. We will make them answer for all this, and those found guilty will not be treated as prisoners, but as terrorists,” Saldo promised.
The governor, along with other officials, released pictures of the badly damaged ambulance, which had a red cross clearly visible on its hood. The windshield had a gaping hole where it joins with the roof, as if it had been hit by a bomblet. A picture from the inside shows the roof completely destroyed, while the vehicle had at least one of its tires punctured.
According to the universally recognized Geneva Convention, an attack on medical personnel and vehicles bearing a red cross and posing no direct threat to the opposing side is considered a war crime.
Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of committing war crimes against military personnel and civilians alike while claiming that Kiev’s Western backers prefer to turn a blind eye to such atrocities.