Ukraine strikes Russian civilian bus – governor
A Ukrainian artillery attack on a passenger bus in Russia’s Kherson Region has left four dead and 17 injured, according to local authorities.
The attack happened at a bus stop in Novaya Kakhovka, a town on the southern bank of the Dnieper River, on Tuesday afternoon. The northern bank is controlled by Ukrainian forces, which first launched a mortar strike, then targeted first responders with drones, according to the regional governor, Vladimir Saldo.
“The strike was precise, meaning that they waited for the bus to reach the stop so they could strike in such a treacherous and barbaric way,” said Saldo. He called the attack “yet another proof of the cruelty and inhumanity of the Kiev militants and their NATO accomplices.”
According to Saldo, the attackers used a 120mm mortar round filled with cluster munitions to maximize civilian injuries and deaths. Four people have been killed, while 17 more were in serious condition and taken to hospitals, he said.
Ambulances that arrived on the scene to help the injured were then targeted by drones, resulting in damage to several vehicles but no additional casualties, according to local authorities.
“This cannot be called military action. This is a crime against humanity,” the governor said on Telegram, noting that Tuesday’s attack stands out from the daily Ukrainian “hunt” for civilians on the southern bank of the Dnieper.
The bus stop attack came a day after a Ukrainian drone targeted an ambulance on its way to a patient. While the ambulance staff survived the strike, the civilian reportedly died before help could reach him.
Russia took over the city of Kherson and most of the eponymous region in March 2022, shortly after launching its military operation in Ukraine. In September that year, the majority of the residents of the region voted to join Russia.
Ukraine currently controls territory on the northern bank of the Dnieper and has been bombing the southern bank. In June 2023, the Novaya Kakhovka hydroelectric dam collapsed and caused major flooding downstream. Moscow accused Ukraine of bombing the structure while Kiev blamed the damage on Russia.
