At least 12 miners were killed and eight injured after a Russian drone struck a bus in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian officials and energy firm DTEK said. Reports say a Shahed drone forced the bus off the road, and a second drone targeted civilians as they tried to escape; a resulting fire was extinguished. Kyiv is coordinating with SpaceX to disable unverified Starlink terminals amid concerns they could be used to guide drones. Trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. are set for Feb. 4–5 in Abu Dhabi.
Russian Drone Strike Hits Miner Bus in Dnipropetrovsk — 12 Dead, 8 Injured
In one of the strikes, a bus transporting miners after their shift was targeted, according to Ukrainian officials. - State Emergency Service of Ukraine
At least 12 people were killed and eight others wounded after a Russian drone struck a bus transporting miners in Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region on Sunday, officials and the energy company DTEK said.
Ukraine’s largest private energy firm, DTEK, said the strike was part of a "large-scale attack" on coal mines in the area. The company reported the bus was carrying miners who had just finished a shift when it was hit, and later revised an earlier death toll from 15 down to 12.
What Officials Say
Regional Governor Oleksandr Ganzha confirmed the deadly strike occurred in Pavlohrad district. Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister, said a Shahed drone struck near the bus, forcing the vehicle to swerve into a fence. As injured passengers began to exit, a second drone was directed "directly at the civilians," he said.
"Operators from Russian territory 100 percent saw and recognized the target as civilian, saw that it was not military, and made a conscious decision to attack," Beskrestnov said.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said the impact sparked a fire that has since been extinguished. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal condemned the incident on Telegram as "a cynical and deliberate attack on energy sector workers," and vowed the perpetrators would be held accountable.
A rescue worker clears debris in a damaged maternity hospital following a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia on Sunday. - Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP/Getty Images
President Volodymyr Zelensky described the strike as "a demonstrative crime, which once again shows that Russia is responsible for the escalation." Ukrainian officials say investigations and emergency response efforts are ongoing.
Related Incidents and Security Measures
The bus attack followed an earlier strike on a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia, also in southeastern Ukraine, where authorities reported at least six people injured. Ukraine’s health ministry said all patients and staff were in shelters at the time, including three women in labour.
Separately, Kyiv is working to prevent hostile forces from using Starlink terminals to guide drones. Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine is coordinating with SpaceX to ensure only authorised Starlink terminals operate in the country and that "unverified terminals will be disabled."
Zelensky confirmed on social media that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States is scheduled for Feb. 4–5 in Abu Dhabi, with the framework to be finalized the day before the meetings. Russian state media later reported similar timing.
Reporting on the incident was provided by Ukrainian officials and DTEK, with additional reporting credited to CNN correspondents. Authorities continue to update casualty figures and investigate the attack.
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