Recent strikes by both Ukraine and Russia have resulted in the deaths of over a dozen civilians. A Ukrainian drone strike on a bus in Russia's Belgorod region killed five people, including a child. In retaliation, Russian strikes on several Ukrainian cities left at least eight dead. The ongoing conflict has seen both sides escalate their bombardment, leading to increased civilian casualties.
In the Russian town of Shebekino, near the Ukrainian border, a Ukrainian drone hit a passenger coach, killing five innocent civilians and injuring 23 others, according to the acting governor of Belgorod region, Alexander Shuvaev. In Ukraine, Russian strikes on the cities of Pavlograd and Kramatorsk killed two people each, while bombardment of the southern regions of Odesa and Zaporizhzhia resulted in four additional deaths.
Earlier on the same day, Ukraine launched drones at the Moscow region, causing fires and injuring at least 10 people, according to Russian authorities. Both countries deny targeting civilians, but the United Nations reports that more civilians were killed in Ukraine in June than in any single month since April 2022.
The escalation in strikes comes as US-led talks to end the nearly four-and-a-half-year conflict remain stalled. The increasing number of civilian casualties underscores the urgent need for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing hostilities.
