At least 15 people were killed and seven others injured after a Russian drone struck a service bus carrying miners in the Pavlohrad district of eastern Ukraine on Saturday, Ukrainian authorities said.
Bus hit near mining facility
According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the attack occurred in the Pavlohrad district when a drone hit a company bus near a coal facility operated by DTEK. A fire broke out following the strike but was quickly extinguished by firefighters.
Initial reports put the death toll at 12, which was later revised to 15. The injured were hospitalised, officials said.
‘Civilian target’, says DTEK
DTEK Chief Executive Maxim Timchenko described the strike as “an unprovoked terrorist attack on a purely civilian target,” calling it the company’s single largest loss of life since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
He said DTEK teams were coordinating with emergency services to ensure medical care for the injured and support for families of those killed.
Zelenskyy condemns attack, offers condolences
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed condolences to the victims’ families, saying Russian drones had struck “an ordinary bus carrying miners” in the Dnipro region. He said authorities were coordinating responses across all regions.
Zelenskyy also provided an update on diplomatic efforts, announcing that the next trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States are scheduled for February 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi.
The strike underscores the continued risks to civilians amid the protracted conflict, as attacks on non-military targets continue to draw international condemnation.