Russian drones struck a passenger bus and railway targets in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, killing five people and injuring several others, Ukrainian officials said. The attacks came as Russian forces intensified strikes on transport infrastructure and other economic targets that Ukraine relies on for civilian movement and wartime logistics.

The deadliest strike occurred early Wednesday near the frontline city of Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where a passenger bus was hit, killing four men and a woman. Seven others were wounded, according to regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack and called for tougher sanctions against Russia from the United States and Europe.

Passenger Bus Hit Near Nikopol

Ukrainian police said the bus was struck near Nikopol, close to the frontline. Hanzha posted a photograph on Telegram showing a white vehicle with shattered windows and what appeared to be a trail of blood along its side.

Zelenskiy said the attack had no military justification. “There is no military logic to this, just another act of brutality,” he said, while urging Washington and European countries to increase economic pressure on Moscow.

Passenger Train Attacked In Mykolaiv

A Russian drone also struck a passenger train in the southern Mykolaiv region, forcing the evacuation of all 168 passengers and crew members, acting regional governor Heorhii Reshetilov said.

No injuries were reported in the train attack. However, Reshetilov said the train was hit twice more after the initial drone strike, in a series of attacks that forced passengers and crew to leave the service.

Zelenskiy also said a locomotive in Kovel, near Ukraine’s border with Poland, had been hit. The incident followed a similar attack on a train near the Polish border days earlier. European diplomats and political figures had travelled on the same railway line shortly before Sunday’s strike.

Railways Increasingly Targeted In War

Russia and Ukraine have increasingly targeted logistics networks and other economic infrastructure as both sides seek to disrupt the other’s war effort and affect civilian morale. With Ukrainian airspace closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, railways and buses have become essential means of transport for civilians and businesses.

Ukraine’s state rail operator told Reuters that Russian forces have struck 120 passenger coaches, 304 locomotives and 43 railway stations so far this year. The company said Russia had carried out attacks on 1,700 railway facilities since the beginning of the year, compared with 1,206 in all of 2025 and 842 in 2024.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia was deliberately targeting infrastructure that is vital to civilian life. “Russian forces strike passenger trains, locomotives, stations, and railway routes knowing exactly how essential they are for civilians, evacuations, and Ukraine’s economy,” he said on X.

“This is not collateral damage. It is a systematic hunt for people and an attempt to paralyse civilian life,” Sybiha said.

Further Casualties Reported Across Ukraine

Ukrainian officials reported additional casualties from Russian attacks in several parts of the country on Wednesday. Russian shelling killed one person in the southern Kherson region, while the head of the Odesa city administration reported another death in the port city.

More than a dozen people were injured in Russian attacks on Sumy in northern Ukraine and Kropyvnytskyi in central Ukraine, according to regional officials.

Separately, the Russia-installed head of Moscow-controlled parts of the eastern Donetsk region said a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person. Officials in Russia’s border Belgorod region reported six people wounded in Ukrainian attacks.

There was no immediate comment from Moscow on the reported strikes. Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians in the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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