At least seven people were killed and 11 others injured when a drone struck a passenger bus in a Russian-controlled area of eastern Ukraine early Wednesday, local authorities installed by Moscow said.
Denis Pushilin, the Russia-backed head of Donetsk region, said the bus, travelling from Moscow to Simferopol in Russian-annexed Crimea, came under attack near Yenakiyevo. The injured were receiving medical treatment, reports BBC.
The attack comes amid a renewed wave of drone strikes between Russia and Ukraine. Russian officials reported that air defence systems intercepted more than 350 drones across regions including Belgorod, Kursk, areas near Moscow, and over the Sea of Azov.
Over 50 drones were shot down over the Leningrad region, home to St Petersburg, where the annual International Economic Forum is due to begin Wednesday. The drone activity temporarily disrupted operations at Pulkovo Airport, prompting flight restrictions, according to Russia’s aviation authority.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said an 86-year-old woman was killed in a Russian drone attack in the southern Kherson region overnight. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 198 drones targeting multiple regions, of which 189 were intercepted or destroyed.
The strikes follow one of the largest Russian aerial assaults since the war began in 2022. Ukrainian authorities reported that at least 22 civilians, including women and children, were killed on Tuesday when Russia launched over 700 missiles and drones across the country.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said civilian infrastructure and energy facilities were among the targets, with more than 100 people injured.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the strikes were in response to previous Ukrainian attacks and claimed all intended targets had been hit. The Kremlin said the campaign of strikes would continue, describing them as retaliatory actions aimed at Ukraine’s military infrastructure.
