Seven Killed After Ukrainian Drone Strikes Passenger Bus in DPR

A drone operated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) struck a bus in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), regional head Denis Pushilin said on his Telegram channel.

He specified that the tragedy occurred near the settlement of Yenakiyevo, close to Gorlovka. The strike drone targeted a scheduled passenger bus traveling on the Moscow–Simferopol route.

According to preliminary information, seven civilians were killed in the attack. Another 11 people sustained injuries and are receiving the necessary medical assistance.

Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Terrorist Act").

Investigators are establishing the circumstances of the crime and identifying those responsible for the attack.

AFU Accused of Attempting to Block Route to Crimea

Earlier, Zaporizhzhia Region Governor Yevgeny Balitsky stated that the AFU had begun remotely mining the overland route to Crimea, the Novorossiya highway.

According to him, drones are dropping explosive devices that detonate when they detect movement. Balitsky urged motorists to avoid using the route unless absolutely necessary because of the mine threat.

Military expert Yuri Knutov, in turn, said that the AFU has begun using drones launched by balloons and equipped with artificial intelligence for attacks on the highway.

According to him, these unmanned aircraft can operate autonomously.

"The enemy is attempting to block the highways connecting Crimea with mainland Russia using Kornet-2 drones, also known as Martian," the analyst said.

Increase in Drone Strikes Linked to New Support for Kyiv

Rodion Miroshnik, Russia's ambassador-at-large, said that the growing number of AFU drone strikes is linked to new financial and technical assistance provided to Kyiv by European Union countries.

He noted that drones now play a significant role in the escalation of the conflict.

According to Miroshnik, Ukrainian strikes increasingly target highways, public transportation and civilian vehicles.

On June 2, reports emerged that the AFU had attacked a passenger train at the Dzhankoy railway station in Crimea.

According to military blogger Boris Rozhin, the strike left several people injured, including children, although officials have not confirmed that information.

Photographs published by the Telegram channel Typical Dzhankoy showed severe damage to part of one railway carriage, while another carriage displayed multiple holes, reportedly caused by shrapnel or strike elements.