Russian drone targets civilian minibus in Nikopol, killing 2, injuring at least 12
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Editor's note: This is a developing story.
A Russian drone struck a civilian minibus in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on June 26, killing two people and injuring at least 12 others, including two children.
The drone hit the bus as it was traveling along the road entering Nikopol, Ukraine's National Police reported. The attack killed a woman and a man.
At least 12 other people were injured, including two 12-year-old sisters who have been hospitalized due to shrapnel wounds. The other victims include men between the ages of 35 and 70, and women aged 41 to 46.
All the victims are receiving medical treatment, the police said. The minibus was also damaged by the drone strike.
An investigative team is working at the attack site, the police reported.
Russian drone strikes regularly target Ukrainian buses, trains, and other transport infrastructure, killing civilians. In areas near the front line — most notoriously in Kherson — Russian forces carry out "human safari" operations, hunting civilian targets well within striking distance of even the shortest-ranged FPV drones.
In these areas, Ukrainians hang drone nets — such as the one pictured at the attack site — over roadways and other areas to minimize the destruction of frequent Russian strikes.
Nikopol is located on the banks of the destroyed Kakhovka Reservoir, just across from Russian-occupied Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Its proximity to the front lines make the town a regular target of Russian attacks.
In April 2026, Nikopol ranked among the cities with the highest civilian casualty counts for that month, according to a report from the United Nations. In that month, Russia's short-range drones alone accounted for 80 civilian deaths and 481 injuries.
