Ukraine drone attack kills 7 in Russian-held territory in new escalation

The Russian-installed head of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, says a drone hit a bus travelling between Moscow and Simferopol.At least seven people have been killed after a drone hit a bus in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region of Ukraine, as both sides escalate attacks.The Russian-installed head of the region, Denis Pushilin, said on the Telegram messaging platform on Wednesday that the bus was travelling between Moscow and Simferopol in Crimea.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3French navy, backed by the UK, intercepts Russian oil tankerlist 2 of 3Ukrainian drone attacks hit multiple Russian targets, including refinerylist 3 of 3Is the war in Ukraine entering a new phase?end of list“A further 11 people sustained injuries of varying severity, and all are receiving the necessary medical care,” he added.Russia’s state news agency Tass reported that the Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation under the category of “terrorist attack”, according to its spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko.Meanwhile, the governor of St Petersburg said Ukrainian drones hit infrastructure in several districts, causing damage and wounding several people, as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosts the “Russian Davos” economic forum in the city.Over 350 drones interceptedAccording to Leningrad Governor Alexander Drozdenko, on Wednesday morning, 50 drones had been shot down over the region overnight, and suspected attacks were continuing to be repelled.Drones also hit the city of Michurinsk in the central Russian Tambov region, Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said, adding that outbuildings at an industrial facility, an apartment building and a library were damaged.Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported that overnight, 354 Ukrainian drones were “intercepted and destroyed” over multiple regions.The attacks come a day after Ukraine’s air force reported that Moscow had launched 656 drones throughout the night and into Tuesday morning.