Russian Drones Slaughter Ukrainian Miners on Bus in Deadly Civilian Attack

A Russian drone attack on a company bus transporting civilian mine workers in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has killed at least 12 people and injured 16 others, Ukrainian authorities and the energy company DTEK reported on February 1. The attack took place near the town of Ternivka, outside Pavlohrad, as miners were returning home after completing their shifts.

According to DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy producer, the strike was part of a wider Russian assault targeting the company’s mining operations. The drone struck near the service bus, which was being used exclusively to transport mine workers. All those on board were civilians and not involved in any military activity.

Casualties and Immediate Aftermath

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said an enemy unmanned aerial vehicle hit the area next to the bus, causing the driver to lose control and crash into a fence. Emergency services rushed to the scene as injured passengers tried to escape the wreckage and assist one another.

Fourteen of the wounded were taken to hospital, with seven reported to be in critical condition. Authorities said the full scale of the damage and the final number of casualties were still being clarified in the hours following the strike. The National Police later confirmed that, as of 22:00, 12 people had been killed and 16 injured.

DTEK initially reported higher casualty figures but later revised its statement, confirming the death toll at 12 and noting that nine of the injured were in serious condition.

Deliberate Targeting of Civilians

Ukrainian officials and experts have stressed that the attack was intentional. Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister on technology, said the bus was struck by Shahed-type drones operated remotely via the internet.

According to Beskrestnov, several drones were flying along the road when the operator of the first drone spotted the bus and chose to attack. After the initial explosion caused the vehicle to crash, injured people began to exit the bus. At that moment, the operator of a second drone redirected it toward the civilians on the ground.

He said the operators “100 percent saw and recognized the target as civilian” and knowingly made the decision to strike people who posed no military threat.

Reactions from Ukrainian Officials

Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets condemned the attack, describing it as another act of violence against civilians. “The service bus was carrying mine workers, civilians who were not involved in the combat. This is yet another brutal attack with casualties, just for today,” he said.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also strongly denounced the strike, stressing that the bus was not a military target. “No military target, just hardworking men returning to their families after their shifts. Truly horrific,” he said. Sybiha added that those responsible must be held accountable, arguing that justice is essential for any lasting peace.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack demonstrated Russia’s continued escalation, even as diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the war continue. In his evening address, he described the strike as a crime that once again showed Russia’s responsibility for worsening the conflict.

Impact on Ukraine’s Mining Sector

DTEK CEO Maksym Timchenko called the incident an “unprovoked terrorist strike on a purely civilian facility,” adding that it marked the company’s largest single loss of life since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. He described the day as one of the darkest in DTEK’s history.

Mykhailo Volynets, head of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine and a member of parliament, said the attack was part of a sustained campaign against Ukraine’s energy and mining infrastructure. He noted that Russian forces regularly target coal mines, substations and mining areas, often forcing emergency evacuations of workers from de-energized underground facilities.

Volynets said Ukraine had 145 coal mines in 2014, when Russia launched its initial invasion of Donbas and annexed Crimea. Due to ongoing attacks and occupation, only 14 mines remain operational today.

International Condemnation and Wider Attacks

International reactions followed quickly. British lawmaker John McDonnell described the strike as appalling, saying it was another attack on working-class Ukrainians. He expressed solidarity with Ukrainian trade unions and condolences to the families of the miners.

The drone strike came against the backdrop of ongoing discussions involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia about possible steps toward de-escalation. Days earlier, US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to suspend attacks on Ukrainian cities for a week. Moscow later clarified that the pause would apply only to Kyiv and only until February 1.

Earlier on the same day as the miners’ attack, Russian forces also struck the city of Zaporizhzhia, injuring at least nine people, including a child. One of the strikes hit a maternity hospital. Separate overnight drone attacks in Dnipro killed a man and a woman after their home was destroyed.

Ukrainian officials said the events of February 1 underscored the gap between Russia’s statements and its actions, as civilian infrastructure and non-combatants continue to come under fire.