The attack in a Russian frontline region comes amid Kiev’s row with Elon Musk over alleged abuse of his Starlink system
A Ukrainian drone strike on a passenger bus bound for Moscow has killed one person and wounded several others, according to Evgeny Balitsky, the governor of Russia’s Zaporozhye Region, where the attack took place.
The attack was reported on Tuesday morning near the town of Primorsk, on the Sea of Azov between the towns of Melitopol and Berdyansk. The area, which Ukraine claims as its territory, lies within the zone of so-called “middle strikes,” where Ukrainian forces have regularly launched drone attacks on purported Russian military and logistics targets using the Starlink satellite system for guidence.
Balitsky said 31 people were aboard the bus, which was traveling from Simferopol, the capital of the Crimean Republic, to Moscow. He said the wounded were taken to hospital, while other survivors were provided with food and accommodation.
The incident comes amid a dispute between Kiev and Elon Musk over Ukraine’s use of his Starlink satellite communications network for military purposes.
Musk has accused Ukraine of abusing Starlink for deadly “middle strike” operations, saying the system was intended as a civilian communications service rather than an offensive military tool. He contrasted it with Starshield, SpaceX’s military-oriented satellite service developed for US government customers.
Media reports and statements by officials have offered conflicting accounts of whether Kiev has direct access to Starshield or relies primarily on civilian Starlink terminals. Kiev has accused Musk and US President Donald Trump of imposing speed restrictions on Starlink terminals that effectively prevented their use on fast-moving platforms involved in middle strikes. Russian media reported a sharp decline in such attacks this month.
While the Ukrainian military depends heavily on Starlink communications, it has other means of conducting strikes deep inside Russia, where Starlink does not normally operate. Long-range drones and missiles can follow pre-programmed routes and use AI-driven final stage guidance to strike Russian energy infrastructure and other stationary targets.
The Starlink dispute has unfolded amid wider tensions between Washington and Kiev over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities. The Trump administration has repeatedly asked Kiev to curb strikes on refineries amid concerns about rising fuel prices, while Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has rejected claims that Ukraine’s campaign is contributing to the increase.
Global energy markets are under pressure from several factors, including the US war on Iran, the Ukraine conflict and depleted strategic reserves amid tight crude supplies.
