A farmer met his demise at the hands of a Russian drone, with the unfortunate victim not being obscure.
In the Kherson region of Ukraine, a tragic story unfolded for farmer Oleksandr Hordiienko. A member of the regional council and the chairman of the farmers' association, Hordiienko had been tending to his farm in the Beryslav district since 1998.
However, the Russian invasion turned his life upside down. After being forced to leave his farm, Hordiienko returned in the fall of 2022 to find a daunting task ahead. The area was littered with 4,000 landmines, and his farm equipment was destroyed.
The war brought numerous challenges for Hordiienko. In 2023, he faced another setback when the Russians blew up the Kakhovka dam, damaging his irrigation system. The high prices of fertilizers also added to his struggles.
Despite the adversity, Hordiienko was not alone. He was supported by the organization "Farmers' Association of Kherson Oblast." Thanks to personal efforts and donations, he was able to resume his operations. However, the risk of danger from Russian drones was ever-present, and Hordiienko used a drone jammer in his work. He even managed to shoot down several drones himself.
The war has had a significant economic impact on Ukrainian agriculture, with losses and damages amounting to around 80 billion US dollars by the end of 2023. Of this, approximately 69.8 billion US dollars were due to crop losses, price losses, and cost increases. Damage to machinery, vehicles, seed, and livestock amounts to about 10.3 billion US dollars. The total losses and damages also include costs related to fertilizers, although the exact amount is not specified.
The situation in the Kherson region was particularly dire. Ukrainian agriculture in the region has seen a significant decline, with eight out of ten farmers having abandoned their farms since 2022. The exact number of farmers killed is not specifically recorded, but as of July 31, 2025, a total of around 14,000 victims have been recorded.
Tragically, Hordiienko was among the victims. On a Friday in an undisclosed year, Russian forces killed him while he was working in his vehicle. This created a risk of drought for the first winter grain sowing, further exacerbating the already dire situation in the Kherson region.
The losses and damages to Ukrainian agriculture from the war are a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict. As we move forward, it is crucial to support farmers like Hordiienko and help rebuild the agricultural sector in Ukraine.
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