Drone strikes kill four in Eastern Ukraine

Russian and Ukrainian drone strikes killed four people in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, with casualties reported in both the Dnipropetrovsk and Lugansk regions.

Two people were killed by a Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region early Wednesday, while another two died after a late Tuesday Ukrainian drone strike in the Lugansk region.

In Dnipropetrovsk, a 68-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were killed in the attack on Synelnykivsky district, according to regional administration head Mykola Lukashuk.

In Russian-controlled Lugansk, a young man and a 20-year-old woman were killed when a Ukrainian drone hit a minibus in Novokrassnyanka.

Wednesday’s deaths follow a devastating pattern of attacks. On Sunday, February 1, Russian drone strikes killed at least 18 people in Dnipropetrovsk, including 16 coal miners whose bus was hit near Pavlohrad.

On Tuesday, Russia launched a massive combined attack using over 70 missiles and 450 strike drones targeting energy infrastructure across Ukraine during some of winter’s coldest days, with temperatures dropping to -24°C.

The continued violence comes as Ukraine, Russia, and the United States prepare for trilateral peace negotiations scheduled for February 4-5 in the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the talks while expressing frustration that Russia continues massive attacks even as diplomatic efforts proceed.

The relentless campaign has devastated Ukraine’s civilian population and critical infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands without heating and power during brutal winter conditions.