Russian Drone Strike Kills Kherson Farmer Oleksandr Hordiienko, Who Shot Down Enemy UAVs with His Rifle
© most.ks.ua
Kostiantyn Golubtsov
Published: September 05 2025 at 09:34 pmSource: MyUkraineis.org
Defended his fields and livestock, but died under attack In the Kherson region, the head of the regional Farmers’ Association and regional council deputy Oleksandr Hordiienko was killed. He died when a Russian drone struck while he was working in the field. The farmer was known for personally defending his farmland and equipment from enemy drones with his shotgun.
Official confirmation
The death of Hordiienko was confirmed by regional council deputy Ihor Yosypenko and Kherson Regional Military Administration head Oleksandr Prokudin.
Yosypenko:
“Our farming family has suffered an irreparable loss today. In the morning, our colleague and fellow countryman from Beryslav district, the head of the Kherson regional Farmers’ Association and a deputy of the regional council, Oleksandr Hordiienko, was killed. This is a huge loss for the entire agricultural community of Ukraine.”
Prokudin:
“This morning, a Russian drone cut short the life of farmer Oleksandr Hordiienko. The enemy insidiously attacked the vehicle he was driving while working in the field. No mines, shelling, or drone attacks ever forced him to abandon his land. He stayed to the very end on Kherson soil.”
A man of the land and resilience
Hordiienko had more than 30 years of experience in agriculture. He owned the “Hordiienko” farming enterprise and chaired the regional association of farmers and private landowners.
The local outlet Most had earlier featured his story: the farmer shot down Russian drones with a ten-round shotgun, evacuated livestock from mined areas, and even cleared thousands of mines from his fields with his own hands.
“The Russians already know me – I keep my headlights on all the time when driving across the fields,” he told reporters.
Despite constant shelling and danger, he remained in the steppe, rebuilt his farm, and cared for his flock and crops.
A symbol of farmers’ resilience
Oleksandr Hordiienko became a symbol of the resilience of Ukrainian farmers. He was not just cultivating crops — he was literally fighting for the survival of agriculture in a frontline region.
Colleagues recall that he never complained, always looking for ways to continue working. Even after his farm in Beryslav was destroyed, he refused to give up and moved operations to the steppe.
Wider context
According to the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, this year alone more than 55,000 hectares of farmland have been lost on the right-bank Kherson region, amounting to over 1 billion UAH in destroyed harvests. The reasons are drought, shelling, and drone strikes. The area at risk may increase to 80,000 hectares as the drought continues.
Agrarian associations have appealed to the government for urgent support, including payments per hectare, noting that farmers are often left alone to fight for their land and livelihoods.
Legacy
Oleksandr Hordiienko will be remembered in Kherson’s history as a true land steward, a farmer-warrior, and a man who never abandoned his work.
His name will remain forever tied to the struggle of Ukrainian farmers for the right to work their land, even in the harshest of times.
Photo from the website most.ks.ua
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