RUSSIAN DRONE STRIKES KILL AT LEAST FOUR IN KHERSON MINIBUS

A Russian drone attack on a minibus in Ukraine's frontline city of Kherson killed at least four people on Wednesday morning, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin. The strike hit the vehicle in the Korabelnyi district at approximately 08:50 local time. Five women were injured in the attack and received hospital treatment. Prokudin stated that all casualties were bus passengers, and described the minibus as civilian.

The attack formed part of a broader pattern of Russian strikes in the Kherson region during the 24-hour period. Prokudin reported that nine additional people were injured in Russian strikes targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas, with damage recorded to three apartment blocks, a restaurant and several vehicles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the incident via social media. The United Nations' humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, reported that Kherson faced attacks from thousands of drones each week, with civilians reporting they were being targeted. Moscow maintains that it only attacks legitimate military and military-related targets.

Kherson, with a pre-war population of approximately 280,000, was controlled by Russian forces from March to November 2022 before being recaptured by Ukrainian counter-offensive operations. Russian forces are now positioned on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River. The United Nations has reported an uptick in civilian deaths throughout 2026, with 437 civilians killed in Ukraine in July alone, the highest monthly toll since May 2022.