Seven dead, 11 injured travelling from Moscow to Crimea’s Simferopol

Deadly Bus Attack in Yenakievo

Devastating aftermath from a deadly drone attack on a bus travelling from Moscow to Crimea’s Simferopol was captured in Yenakievo, Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), on Wednesday, with images showing the vehicle completely burnt-out following the strike.

Regional head Denis Pushilin reported that, according to preliminary information, seven civilians were killed and 11 more received injuries varying in severity.

“I offer my sincere condolences to the families of those who died. May those who were injured make a speedy recovery,” he said.

Russian Officials Condemn Strike

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described the attack on a passenger bus as a ‘hunt for people’.

“They drive their own people into graves through forced conscription. They kill our people using terrorist methods,” she said.

The Ukrainian side had not commented on the incident at the time of publication but previously denied targeting civilians.

Attack Follows Escalating Strikes

It came after Russia launched wide-scale strikes on military targets across Ukraine this week, following Kiev’s massive reported drone attack on a college in Lugansk People’s Republic last month.

Broader Conflict Background

Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.

Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.