Nine killed, six wounded in Ukrainian drone attack on Russian passenger bus

LUHANSK (Shahid Ghuman) - A Ukrainian attack on a passenger bus in the Luhansk People's Republic has killed nine people and injured six others. LPR regional head Leonid Pasechnik claimed that the passenger bus was targeted deliberately. According to Russian authorities, the passenger bus was travelling from Lysychansk to Stakhanov when it was attacked on the highway between Zolotoye and Pervomaisk. There were 15 passengers on the bus, including the driver. According to Pasechnik, eight people died on the spot in the attack, while six passengers were injured. A critically wounded 20-year-old girl was shifted to an intensive care unit where doctors tried to save her life, but she succumbed to her wound. Her death took the toll to nine. According to the authorities, the mother of the girl was also wounded in the attack. An 18-year-old girl was also taken to the hospital with wounds. Three passengers and the bus driver were allowed to go home after medical assistance. The Russian Investigative Committee has lodged a criminal case under terrorism provisions and started an investigation. According to the Russian Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko, investigation teams are collecting evidence from the scene of the incident, while efforts are being made to determine the type and model of the drone used in the attack. Describing the incident as an act of terrorism, Pasechnik said the attack on the passenger bus was deliberate. Russian military expert Andrei Maruchko claimed that targeting the passenger bus could not have been a mere mistake because the drone operator could see the target directly at the time of the attack. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian authorities on the incident and the allegations made by the Russian authorities.