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At least 15 people were killed and seven others injured when a Russian drone struck a service bus carrying miners in the Pavlohrad district of Ukraine on Saturday (local time), according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
According to a statement issued on X by the emergency service, a fire broke out following the strike but was promptly extinguished by firefighters. "A Russian drone attacked a company service bus in the Pavlohrad district! Preliminary reports indicate that 12 people were killed. Seven others were injured and hospitalised. A fire broke out, which was extinguished by firefighters," the emergency service said in its post. "The number of victims from the Russian attack has increased to 15 people," it added. The attack targeted a company bus near the DTEK coal facility, following which Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, described the incident as "an unprovoked terrorist attack on a purely civilian target". In a statement on X, Timchenko called the attack the "single largest loss of life of DTEK employees since Russia's full-scale invasion" and "one of the darkest days in our history." He added that DTEK teams are working closely with emergency services to ensure that the injured and the families of the deceased receive care and support. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed his condolences on X, saying, "In the Dnipro region, in Ternivka of the Pavlohrad district, Russian drones struck an ordinary bus carrying miners. Sadly, many people were killed. My condolences to all the families and loved ones." He added that he had held a coordination call regarding the situation across all regions. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy provided an update on ongoing diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution in the ongoing war with Russia, announcing that the next trilateral meeting between the two sides, along with the US as the mediator, has been scheduled for February 4 and February 5 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. "Our negotiating team has just delivered a report. The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set - February 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion, and we are interested in ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war. Thank you to everyone who is helping!" Zelenskyy said in a post on X. (ANI)
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