By: The Trek News Desk
At least 12 miners lost their lives in a Russian drone strike in eastern Ukraine, according to the country’s largest private energy company, DTEK. The attack targeted a bus carrying mine workers who were returning home after completing their shift in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Ukraine’s emergency services confirmed that at least 15 others were injured in the incident. Initial reports had put the death toll at 15, but authorities later revised the figure downward.
In a separate incident, a Russian drone struck a maternity hospital in the city of Zaporizhzhia, injuring six people. Among the wounded were two women who were giving birth at the time of the attack, officials said.
Zaporizhzhia regional head Ivan Fedorov described the strike as “a war against life.” Videos circulating on social media showed shattered windows, burned rooms, and hospital wards filled with debris. Some footage captured firefighters battling flames and evacuating patients to safety.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the hospital strike clearly demonstrated that Russia is targeting civilians, calling it a direct contradiction to ongoing peace efforts.
Elsewhere, Russian attacks claimed the lives of a man and a woman in the city of Dnipro, while a 72-year-old man was injured in Nikopol. In Kherson, shelling left a 59-year-old woman seriously wounded, and three more people were injured in Kharkiv, according to local officials.
Throughout January, Russia carried out widespread strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving millions without electricity and heating during extreme winter conditions. Meteorologists have warned that temperatures in some regions could fall below -20°C.
Recently, US President Donald Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to pause attacks during the cold spell. However, the Kremlin later clarified that the temporary halt expired on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the next round of three-way peace talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war has been postponed to Wednesday. The meeting will take place in Abu Dhabi and involve representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.
Russia currently controls around 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory, including much of the eastern Donbas region. Territorial control remains the most contentious issue in negotiations, continuing to block progress toward a peace settlement.
Source: News Agencies
