At least five killed in Russian drone strike near Ukraine front line

What the report says

Ukrainian officials said a Russian drone strike hit a passenger minibus near the front line around Nikopol in southeastern Ukraine on Wednesday, killing at least five people and injuring seven more. Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said the attack took place in the area around Nikopol, a city on the Dnipro River opposite the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Al Jazeera reported that photos shared by Ukrainian officials showed the vehicle with shattered windows and blood visible on its side. Mykola Lukashuk, head of the Dnipropetrovsk region council, described the strike as targeting civilians going about their daily lives. Russia did not immediately comment on the incident.

The report said the attack came amid a wider escalation in strikes across Ukraine. The United Nations has said civilian casualties in Ukraine rose sharply in the first half of 2026, while casualties from Ukrainian attacks inside Russia also increased over the same period. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny deliberately targeting civilians.

Al Jazeera also noted other incidents on Wednesday, including an explosion and warehouse fire in Kyiv, reported damage to energy infrastructure and an industrial site in Poltava region, and Russia’s claim that it hit a cargo vessel in the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk.