---
title: "Strike on a scheduled bus in the Nikopol region: five killed and seven injured after a Russian drone attack"
description: "On the morning of September 16, a Russian drone struck a scheduled bus in the Nikopol district. Five people were killed and at least seven were injured. The prosecutor's office opened a case for a war crime."
date: 2026-09-16T06:44:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/strike-on-scheduled-bus-in-nikopol-region-five-killed-seven-injured
tags: [ukraine-war, drone-strike, dnipropetrovsk, nikopol, civilian-casualties, mercedes-sprinter, war-crime]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Strike on a scheduled bus in the Nikopol region: five killed and seven injured after a Russian drone attack

![Mercedes-Benz Sprinter coach bus with a Pokrov–Nikopol–Dnipro route sign on the Nикopol region after a Russian drone strike](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/16/udar-po-reysovomu-avtobusu-na-nikopolschine-pyat-pogibshih/udar-po-reysovomu-avtobusu-na-nikopolschine-pyat-pogibshih-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- A Russian drone struck a scheduled bus on the Pokrov — Nikopol — Dnipro route in the Nikopol district
- Five people were killed on the spot, at least seven were injured and are under medical observation
- The Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (war crime)
- Regional authorities point to the systematic nature of Russian attacks on civilian facilities in the Nikopol region

On the morning of September 16, 2026, Russian military forces struck a passenger scheduled bus with an unmanned aerial vehicle in the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. According to local authorities, the attack killed five people and injured at least seven. This was announced by Alexander Ganza, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, and Nikolai Lukashuk, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration.

### Confirmed casualties and nature of the attack

In his statement, Alexander Ganza clarified that five civilians were killed on the spot, while the seven injured were under medical observation and receiving the necessary medical care at the time the information was released. According to him, the attack was carried out using an unmanned aerial vehicle. Commenting on the incident, Nikolai Lukashuk emphasized that Russian military forces "cynically struck a passenger bus" — a scheduled public transport vehicle in which people were traveling on their business. He expressed sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to all those injured.

### Bus route and circumstances

According to the sign attached to the vehicle's windshield, the bus was operating on the route "Pokrov — via Nikopol — Dnipro." This confirms that at the time of the attack, the vehicle was carrying ordinary passengers traveling on a regular scheduled route. Photographs of the aftermath published by Nikolai Lukashuk show damage to a white Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibus parked in an open area near a road. The surroundings are fielded lands typical of the Nikopol district.

### Criminal proceedings and legal classification

The Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office has already opened a criminal case on the grounds of a war crime under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This article provides for liability for violations of the laws and customs of war, which allows an intentional strike on a civilian vehicle carrying passengers to be classified as a war crime. The agency has pledged to continue the investigation and to hold those responsible accountable.

### Context: systematic attacks on the Nikopol region

Nikolai Lukashuk drew attention to the fact that Russian occupiers regularly terrorize the peaceful residents of the Nikopol district. The September 16 incident became the latest episode in a series of deliberate strikes on civilian infrastructure and civilian facilities in the region. Earlier, other attacks were recorded in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast: in particular, Russia recently struck Kryvyi Rih with a ballistic missile, and a mandatory evacuation of residents of two villages in the oblast was also declared. The totality of these events indicates a persistently high threat to the region's population throughout 2026.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Russians struck a bus in the Nikopol region, 5 people killed](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiyani-vdarili-avtobusu-nikopolshchini-1789540763.html) - Подтверждает удар дрона по автобусу, 5 погибших, 7 раненых, ссылается на заявление А. Ганжи
- [Russian drone strike on a scheduled bus in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast: 5 killed, 7 ...](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0/20260916-%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D0%BE-%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%83-%D0%B0%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%83%D1%81%D1%83-%D0%B2-%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9-%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8-5-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%B1%D1%88%D0%B8%D1%85-7-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85-1666-%D0%B9-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8C-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BD%D1%8B-%D1%80%D1%84-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8B) - Международное подтверждение: 5 погибших, 7 раненых, тип оружия — беспилотник, дата 16.09.2026
- [Drone struck a bus in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast: there are killed and injured](https://esp.md/ru/sobytiya/2026/09/16/v-dnepropetrovskoy-oblasti-dron-udaril-po-avtobusu-est-pogibshie-i-ranenye) - Подтверждает факт удара дрона по автобусу и наличие погибших/раненых
- [Russia carried out a missile strike on Dnipro and attacked the Nikopol district: 2 killed, 15 injured](https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/06/18/8039918/) - Описывает иной инцидент от 18.06.2026 (баллистическая ракета, другие цифры жертв). Не является противоречием, а отдельным событием. В текст не включён.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How many people were killed and injured as a result of the strike on the bus on September 16?
**A:** According to confirmed data from Alexander Ganza, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, five people were killed on the spot, at least seven were injured and are under medical observation.

### Q: What weapon was used to strike the bus?
**A:** The strike was carried out by a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (drone), as confirmed by both Alexander Ganza and Nikolai Lukashuk.

### Q: What route was the bus following at the time of the attack?
**A:** According to the sign on the windshield, the bus was operating on the route "Pokrov — via Nikopol — Dnipro."

### Q: Has a criminal case been opened over the attack?
**A:** Yes, the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal case under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for liability for a war crime.

### Q: Is this an isolated incident in the Nikopol district?
**A:** No. Nikolai Lukashuk, head of the Regional Military Administration, noted that Russian military forces regularly strike peaceful residents of the Nikopol region. Other attacks have also been recorded in the region, including a ballistic missile strike on Kryvyi Rih and a mandatory evacuation from two villages.