At least seven people were killed and 11 others injured after a drone struck a passenger bus traveling through a Russian-controlled area of eastern Ukraine, as the conflict entered another deadly phase marked by large-scale drone and missile attacks.

Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-backed leader of the Donetsk region, said that the bus was attacked while traveling on the route between Moscow and Simferopol in Crimea. Emergency services responded to the scene, while the injured were taken for medical treatment, The Caspian Post reports via BBC.

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The incident came amid a night of intense aerial warfare across the region. Russian authorities said air defenses intercepted more than 350 drones overnight, including dozens over western Russian regions and near St. Petersburg, where the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is set to begin.

The attacks temporarily disrupted operations at Pulkovo Airport, highlighting the growing impact of drone warfare far from the front lines.

Meanwhile, Ukraine reported a fresh wave of Russian strikes. Russia launched nearly 200 drones overnight, targeting multiple regions across the country. In the southern Kherson region, an 86-year-old woman was reportedly killed in a drone attack.

The latest escalation follows one of the largest Russian aerial assaults since the start of the war in 2022. Ukrainian authorities said more than 700 missiles and drones were launched during attacks on June 2, leaving at least 22 people dead and over 100 injured.