At least seven people were killed and 11 others injured after a drone struck a passenger bus in a Russian-controlled area of eastern Ukraine early Wednesday, according to local authorities installed by Moscow.
Denis Pushilin, the Russia-backed head of the Donetsk region, said the bus was travelling from Moscow to Simferopol in Russian-annexed Crimea when it came under attack near Yenakiyevo.
He said seven civilians were killed in the strike, while the injured were receiving medical treatment.
The incident occurred amid a fresh wave of overnight drone attacks between Russia and Ukraine. Russian officials said air defence systems intercepted more than 350 drones across several regions, including Belgorod, Kursk, areas near Moscow and over the Sea of Azov.
Authorities also reported that more than 50 drones were shot down over the Leningrad region, home to St. Petersburg, where the annual International Economic Forum is set to begin on Wednesday.
The drone activity temporarily disrupted operations at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, 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, adding that 189 of them were intercepted or destroyed.
The latest attacks follow one of the largest Russian aerial assaults since the war began in 2022. Ukrainian officials said at least 22 people, including women and children, were killed on Tuesday when Russia launched more than 700 missiles and drones across the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said civilian infrastructure and energy facilities were among the targets, and that more than 100 people were injured.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the strikes were carried out in response to earlier Ukrainian attacks and claimed all intended targets had been hit.
The Kremlin said the campaign of strikes would continue, describing them as retaliatory actions and maintaining that they were aimed at Ukraine’s military infrastructure.
With inputs from BBC