Swedish aid ambulance attacked by Russian drone in Ukraine

A Swedish aid ambulance belonging to the organization Operation Aid was targeted by a Russian drone in Kherson, Ukraine, on Thursday. The vehicle was struck while its two Ukrainian crew members were responding to an emergency call.

"We are grateful that our medical team is alive," said Malin Dahlberg Markstedt, the organization's secretary-general. The crew detected the drone pursuing them and managed to escape the ambulance just before it was hit. The attack destroyed one side of the vehicle, likely necessitating its replacement. Fortunately, no patients were inside the ambulance at the time of the incident.

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We are grateful that our medical team is alive.

Dahlberg Markstedt condemned the attack, stating it exemplifies the "human safari" observed in the conflict, where civilian targets are deliberately attacked. She emphasized that this action constitutes a clear violation of the laws of war, which protect medical transports and personnel under the Geneva Conventions.

The World Health Organization has verified over 3,140 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities since the full-scale invasion began. Operation Aid faces numerous challenges in its work, including severely damaged roads and the inherent dangers of operating in front-line environments. Reaching civilians in need of assistance remains difficult, especially in Kherson, a front-line city where Russian forces control the eastern bank and regularly shell the western side with artillery and drones.

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This is an example of the human safari that we have seen many examples of, where civilian targets are targeted and attempts are made to hit them. It is a clear violation of the laws of war.