Ukraine drone strike on bus in Russia's Belgorod kills five, including child

A self-defence unit volunteer displays intercepted Ukrainian FPV drones in Belgorod, Russia, on March 12, 2026, during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russia said a Ukrainian drone strike on a passenger bus in the Belgorod border region killed five people on Monday. AFP FILE

A Ukrainian drone strike on a bus in Russia's Belgorod border region killed five people, including a child, on Monday, the region's acting governor said.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

Kyiv has intensified its retaliatory strikes on Russia in recent weeks, causing widespread fuel shortages and disrupting the lives of many Russians.

Russia has meanwhile escalated its bombardment of Ukraine, killing dozens of people in missile strikes since the beginning of the month, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Russian strikes on Monday killed five people, Ukrainian officials said.

In the Russian town of Shebekino -- less than five kilometres (three miles) from the Ukrainian border -- a Ukrainian drone "deliberately and cynically struck a passenger coach", the acting governor of Russia's Belgorod region said.

"Five innocent civilians, including a minor, were killed as a result of this inhuman and despicable attack... In addition, 23 civilians were injured, including a teenager," he added.

In Ukraine, Russian strikes on the eastern cities of Pavlograd and Kramatorsk killed two people each, while Russian bombardment of the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed one other, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Earlier Monday, Ukraine launched scores of drones at the Moscow region, sparking fires and wounding at least 10 people, Russia said.

Both Russia and Ukraine -- which deny targeting civilians -- have launched repeated strikes on each other in recent months, as US-led talks on ending the nearly four-and-a-half year conflict remain stalled.

More civilians were killed in Ukraine in June than in any single month since April 2022, two months after Moscow began its offensive against its neighbour, according to the United Nations.

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