Twelve miners have been killed by a Russian drone strike in eastern Ukraine, the country's largest private energy firm has said.
DTEK stated that a bus carrying workers after a shift in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region had been targeted in the attack that also injured at least 15 others, as reported by state emergency services.
This incident follows multiple other violent attacks, including a drone strike on a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia, which left six people injured. These events complicate the already fragile situation in Ukraine, especially with Russia's ongoing military operations despite an agreement to refrain from targeting civilian areas during the harsh winter conditions.
Zaporizhzhia regional head Ivan Fedorov criticized the attack on the maternity hospital as indicative of a war against civilians, underscoring the tragic consequences of the ongoing conflict. He also reported that the site had seen significant damage.
While strikes have persisted in regions near the frontlines, larger cities like Kyiv remain largely untouched, raising concerns about the Russian military's tactics moving forward. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that the hospital attack exemplifies the dire situation for civilians amidst false promises of peace negotiations, which were set to occur soon in Abu Dhabi.
Recent violence has escalated fears as temperatures drop below -20C in parts of Ukraine, leaving many without heating or electricity.
Efforts to utilize satellite technology from firms like SpaceX to counter Russian drone operations have emerged as critical components of Ukraine's defense strategy, showing the complex interplay of technology and warfare in the current conflict.
