Twelve miners have been killed by a Russian drone strike in eastern Ukraine, according to the country's largest private energy firm, DTEK. The tragic event occurred when a bus transporting workers after their shift was struck in the Dnipropetrovsk region. In addition to the fatalities, at least fifteen others sustained injuries in the attack.
This incident is part of a broader pattern, as earlier reports confirmed additional casualties from separate Russian strikes, including at least two deaths and nine injuries from other assaults, one of which involved a drone hitting a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia.
Strikes persist, especially in front-line regions, despite Russia’s earlier commitments not to target civilian populations or infrastructure amidst the harsh winter conditions affecting Ukraine. However, the Kremlin justified ongoing military actions as necessary for enabling peace negotiations expected to take place in Abu Dhabi this week.
Regional officials, including Zaporizhzhia head Ivan Fedorov, condemned the maternity hospital strike as emblematic of warfare targeting civilian life, a sentiment echoed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha concerning the drone strikes.
Further complicating the situation, reports indicate Moscow’s attacks on Ukraine’s power grid have left millions without heating or electricity, amidst plunging winter temperatures forecasted to drop below -20°C. Ukraine is also reportedly collaborating with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to enhance security and prevent the misuse of the company’s satellite systems in drone warfare.
