Seven Killed in Ukrainian Drone Attack as Russia Reports Massive Overnight UAV Assault

By Staff, Agencies

A Ukrainian drone strike on a civilian passenger bus traveling between Moscow and Crimea has killed at least seven people and left 11 others injured in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic [DPR], according to regional authorities.

DPR head Denis Pushilin said the attack occurred in the town of Enakievo on Wednesday morning when the bus, en route from Moscow to Simferopol, was targeted by a Ukrainian drone. He condemned the incident as another act of aggression against civilians and extended condolences to the families of those killed while pledging full medical support for the wounded.

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova denounced the strike as a deliberate attack on non-combatants, arguing that no military objective could justify the deaths of civilians. She described the incident as a grave crime and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a terrorism investigation into the attack.

The bus strike came amid what Russian authorities described as one of the largest Ukrainian drone offensives in recent months. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, air defenses intercepted 345 Ukrainian UAVs overnight across multiple regions, including Moscow, Leningrad, Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, Smolensk, Crimea, and the Sea of Azov.

In St. Petersburg, several people were reportedly injured and infrastructure damaged as drones targeted the region on the opening day of the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum [SPIEF]. Authorities said dozens of drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad Region, prompting a temporary suspension of operations at Pulkovo Airport and the declaration of a drone alert.

The annual SPIEF gathering, often described as Russia’s premier international economic forum, is hosting around 20,000 participants from more than 100 countries. President Vladimir Putin is expected to address the event later in the week.

Russian officials have previously warned that attacks on civilian targets and infrastructure would trigger a sustained response against Ukraine’s military-industrial facilities, command centers and drone production sites.

Moscow has also cited the recent drone strike on a student dormitory in Starobelsk, which Russian authorities say killed 21 people and wounded dozens more, as evidence of what it describes as an escalating campaign of attacks against civilians. President Vladimir Putin stated that those responsible would face unavoidable punishment.

On Tuesday, Russian forces carried out another wave of missile and drone strikes against military and defense-industry facilities in several Ukrainian regions, including Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Poltava, Khmelnitsky and Sumy, according to the Defense Ministry. Russian officials said the operation was aimed at degrading Ukraine’s military capabilities and responding to continued drone attacks on Russian territory.