A deadly Russian drone attack struck the Ukrainian city of Marhanets on Wednesday, killing nine workers and wounding 49 more as they rode a bus home from a mining plant. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the strike as a “deliberate war crime,” calling the bus a clearly marked civilian vehicle.
Marhanets, perched on the north bank of the Dnipro River, remains under Ukrainian control — but not untouched by war’s shadow. The drone’s impact turned a simple workday into a scene of chaos and sorrow. Photographs shared by President Zelenskiy revealed the shattered remains of the bus, with bodies nearby and emergency crews rushing to help. Most of the injured were women.
“This was a brutal and intentional act,” Zelenskiy wrote on social media, renewing his call for a full and unconditional ceasefire.
The attack was part of a massive overnight assault in which Russia launched 134 drones at Ukrainian targets, according to Ukraine’s air force. Dnipropetrovsk governor Serhiy Lysak confirmed the casualty numbers.
Elsewhere in the war-torn country, violence continued to scorch the land. In Kherson, a power plant was destroyed by artillery and drones. Fires blazed across the Synelnykivskyi district after a drone hit an agricultural site. In Poltava, six people were injured. More were hurt in Odesa, and in Kharkiv, fire consumed parts of the city after strikes.
In the capital region of Kyiv, buildings, homes, and even a restaurant complex suffered damage.
As the smoke rises and sorrow deepens, Ukrainian officials had hoped to join ceasefire discussions in London. But with key foreign leaders pulling out, the talks were delayed — and peace remains out of reach, as the drums of war still echo.
