Civilian Bus Struck by Russian Drone in Dnipropetrovsk, Killing 12 Miners
Feb. 2 — At least 12 miners were killed and eight others wounded on Sunday when a Russian drone struck a civilian bus in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukrainian authorities have labeled the attack a deliberate act of terrorism, accusing Moscow of targeting unarmed civilians as they returned home from work.
The bus, operated by Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK, was transporting staff from a local mine when it was hit. Company officials confirmed the vehicle was struck as it carried workers home after their shift, resulting in what they described as the single largest loss of DTEK employee lives since Russia's full-scale invasion began nearly three years ago.
"This was an unprovoked terrorist attack on a purely civilian target," said DTEK CEO Maxim Teimchenko in an emotional statement. "It is one of the darkest days in our history. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten."
Ukrainian defense adviser Serhii Berskresnov, posting on Telegram, identified the weapon as an Iranian-made Shahed drone. He detailed that the operator, using a MESH radio modem, deliberately targeted the bus after visually identifying it on the road. The initial blast wave caused the driver to lose control and crash into a fence. As injured survivors exited the vehicle, a second drone struck the same location.
"The operators, operating from Russian territory, 100% saw and identified the target as civilian," Berskresnov asserted. "They saw these were not military personnel and made a conscious decision to attack. This is yet another act of terrorism."
The attack forms part of a broader pattern of strikes on civilian infrastructure that has drawn international condemnation. The International Criminal Court has an ongoing investigation into alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine and has issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians.
Sunday's assault was one component of a widespread Russian offensive across Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on social media that attacks on energy and railway infrastructure had left many without heat and electricity during a severe cold snap, with temperatures plunging well below freezing.
Zelensky also provided grim statistics, noting that in January alone, Russia launched over 6,000 attack drones, 5,550 guided aerial bombs, and 158 missiles at Ukraine. "Virtually all of it targeted the energy sector, the railways, and our infrastructure—everything that sustains normal life," he said.
The strike on the miners' bus follows a reported attack on a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, which injured six people. Prime Minister Yulia Svydenko condemned the pattern, stating simply, "This is the nature of Russia's war."
These developments unfold amid diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire. Zelensky confirmed that dates for the next round of trilateral talks involving the U.S. and Russia have been set for Wednesday and Thursday in Abu Dhabi. "Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion," he said, "and we are interested in ensuring the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war."
The latest violence also comes against a complex geopolitical backdrop. Former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed last week that Putin had promised him Russia would refrain from striking Ukrainian cities for a week—an assertion met with skepticism by many observers as attacks continued unabated.
Reaction & Analysis
Markus Vogel, Security Analyst at the European Policy Institute: "This attack tragically illustrates the brutal, attritional phase the conflict has entered. Targeting shift workers is a tactic designed to terrorize the population and cripple critical industries like energy production from within."
Dr. Anya Petrova, Historian at Kyiv University: "There is a terrible historical echo here. Attacking miners—the backbone of industrial regions—has long been a method of breaking communal spirit. The intent seems clear: to demoralize and inflict economic pain simultaneously."
James Miller, Former Diplomat (via blog): "The cold, technical detail about the drone's modem and the operator's visual confirmation strips away any pretense of this being collateral damage. It was a calculated kill. When will the international response match the severity of these repeated, documented war crimes?"
Elena Kovac, Factory Worker in Dnipro (sister of a miner): "[Expletive] terrorists! They wait for buses full of tired men who've done nothing but honest work. My brother takes that route. Where is the red line? When do words turn into action to stop this slaughter?"