Twelve miners have been killed by a Russian drone strike in eastern Ukraine, according to DTEK, the country’s largest private energy firm. The attack occurred on Sunday when a bus carrying workers after their shift was targeted in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Reports indicate that at least 15 others were injured in this incident.
This strike is particularly troubling as it coincides with claims that Russia had agreed to refrain from targeting civilian populations and energy infrastructure during a period of extreme cold weather in Ukraine. Earlier assaults during the day included two fatalities and nine injuries from other attacks, notably one incident where a drone struck a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia, causing damage but no casualties.
Zaporizhzhia's regional head, Ivan Fedorov, expressed outrage at the attack on the maternity hospital, citing it as further evidence of a war waged against the civilians. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned the actions as a 'war against civilians', directly challenging Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims of peace negotiations.
Despite an apparent lull in attacks on major urban centers like Kyiv in recent days, the strikes continued in frontline regions. Moscow’s confirmation of the drone strike, however, did not acknowledge the severe cold conditions affecting the region and instead framed the attack as part of ongoing peace negotiations set for the upcoming week in Abu Dhabi.
The continuing violence has raised significant concerns about civilian safety amidst ongoing negotiations. Ukrainian officials are coordinating responses and adapting military strategies, including collaboration with private entities like SpaceX to mitigate the misuse of satellite technology by Russian forces.
