Aftermath of a jet-powered drone strike on residential areas of Sloviansk, Donetsk region, September 14, 2026. Photo courtesy of DSNS Donetsk.
Reported by:
Cherry Meigh Timbol
News Content Editor
Published September 17, 2026
KYIV — Russian forces carried out a series of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens over a 24-hour period, according to Ukrainian regional authorities and local reporting. The attacks included a strike on a passenger bus in the Dnipropetrovsk region that killed five people.
The attacks came as Russian forces continued targeting transportation and infrastructure across several Ukrainian regions. Ukrainian officials reported casualties in Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and other areas, while Kyiv was struck separately by a combination of missiles and drones overnight.
Passenger Bus Strike Kills Five
One of the deadliest incidents occurred near Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where a Russian drone struck a passenger bus on September 16.
Five people were killed and at least seven others were injured, according to regional authorities. The victims included four men and one woman.
Reuters reported that the attack was part of a broader series of Russian strikes against transportation infrastructure. Ukrainian officials said a passenger train in the Mykolaiv region was also attacked, although all 168 passengers and crew members were evacuated safely.
Ukrainian officials have increasingly warned that attacks on railways and other transportation networks threaten civilian mobility as well as the country’s economy.
Kyiv Hit by Missiles and Drones
The attacks continued overnight into September 17, when Russian forces launched another missile-and-drone assault on Kyiv.
At least 18 people were reported injured in the capital, including children, while buildings and infrastructure were damaged. Ukrainian authorities said an educational facility was among the structures hit.
The latest assault followed repeated Russian attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, with Ukrainian authorities reporting damage to residential, transportation and energy infrastructure.
Attacks Reported Across Multiple Regions
The September 16 attacks were not limited to a single area.
Reuters reported additional casualties from Russian strikes in Kherson, Odesa, Sumy and Kropyvnytskyi. Russian attacks also struck other transportation-related targets, including railway facilities.
Ukraine’s state railway operator said Russia had attacked more than 1,700 railway facilities during 2026, including passenger wagons, locomotives and railway stations. The figures were provided by the Ukrainian rail operator to Reuters.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of attacks during the war, while both governments have denied deliberately targeting civilians.
Ukraine Also Carries Out Strikes Inside Russia
The latest Russian attacks came alongside Ukrainian strikes against targets inside Russian territory and Russian-controlled areas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces struck targets in Russia, including an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and a military airfield in the Rostov region.
Russian officials have also reported Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory. Meanwhile, two Russian oil refineries in Syzran and Saratov reportedly suspended processing following recent Ukrainian drone attacks, according to sources cited by Reuters.
Pressure on Civilian Infrastructure
The latest attacks highlight the continuing expansion of strikes beyond traditional military targets to transportation, energy and other infrastructure used by civilians.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of deliberately targeting railway infrastructure, while Moscow has continued to deny intentionally targeting civilians.
The attacks are occurring as diplomatic efforts surrounding the war remain uncertain and both sides continue long-range strikes against military and economic targets.
🧩 Bottom Line:
Russia’s latest wave of attacks across Ukraine has produced civilian casualties in multiple regions, including five deaths in a strike on a passenger bus near Nikopol and a separate overnight assault on Kyiv that injured at least 18 people. The attacks demonstrate the continued danger to civilian transportation and infrastructure even as the wider war remains focused on both military positions and strategic economic targets.
SOURCES: THE GATEWAY PUNDIT – Ukraine Field Report: Russia Kills at Least 10 Nationwide as Zelensky Suspends Prosecutor General Amid Corruption Scandal
THE KYIV INDEPENDENT – At least 18 injured, including children, in Kyiv following Russian missile, drone attack
