As many as 15 persons were killed after a Russian drone hit a bus carrying mineworkers in Ukraine’s Dnipro, Ukrainian emergency officials said on Sunday. The bus was transporting workers at the end of their shift when it was hit. Seven other people were wounded in the attack, according to emergency services. A fire broke out at the scene but was later brought under control.
This came amid discussions between Ukraine, Russia and the United States to initiate a second round of talks to broker peace in the unrest-hit region.
Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, confirmed that the bus belonged to the company. It said the strike was part of what it described as a “major terrorist attack” on its mining operations in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
In a statement shared on Telegram, DTEK said one of the main targets was a company bus carrying miners away from a work site. The region’s capital, Dnipro, has faced repeated attacks during the conflict.
Emergency teams are working at the site as authorities gather further details about the strike and its impact.
Next round of trilateral talks on Feb 4-5
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said the next round of trilateral talks, aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict, between Ukraine, Russia and the United States, was slated for February 4 and 5.
"We have just had a report from our negotiating team. The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set: Feb 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine is ready for substantive talks, and we are interested in an outcome that will bring us closer to a real and dignified end to the war," Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post.
However, Russian officials haven’t yet officially commented over this development.
