Russian forces kill cyclist, elderly minibus passengers and police officer in Donetsk drone attacks

Russian military killed three civilians in a drone attack on a route taxi minibus in the Kramatorsk District, Donetsk Oblast, on November 8, 2025, according to the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office and Serhii Horbunov, head of the Kostiantynivka city military administration. A man was killed in a Russian FPV drone strike on Kostiantynivka.

Aftermath of the Russian attack on a minibus in the Donetsk Oblast. Photo credits: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office

The Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported that Russian forces struck the Druzhkivka hromada – a local government area that includes one or more nearby settlements – at 12:10 p.m. on November 8. An FPV drone hit a GAZelle passenger vehicle used for private transport in the village of Kindrativka.

As a result of the strike, the 47-year-old driver and two male passengers aged 71 and 86 sustained blast injuries, burns to the head and limbs, and a concussion. They were taken to a hospital.

In addition, a civilian man was also killed in a Russian FPV drone attack on Kostiantynivka. Early reports indicate that at the moment of the strike, he was riding a bicycle; his injuries proved fatal.

Horbunov also reported that two people were injured in the strike on Kostiantynivka. They sought medical assistance on their own at a hospital in Druzhkivka.

“Later, the city came under another strike – the enemy used a fiber-optic FPV attack drone. This time, there were no casualties, but an armored vehicle belonging to the Proliska humanitarian mission, which was used to evacuate civilians, was damaged. Early reports indicate that the strike hit the vehicle directly while it was carrying out a humanitarian task. Humanitarian personnel were inside and, fortunately, were not injured. The vehicle sustained significant mechanical damage,” he reported.

Meanwhile, the Donetsk Oblast Police reported that the Russian military killed a police officer in the Kramatorsk District, Donetsk region, after a Russian drone hit his car.

Major Chynhyz Hurbanov, a senior district police officer at the Volnovakha police station, was on duty in the Kramatorsk District when Russian forces struck the vehicle.

Major Chynhyz Hurbanov

Hurbanov, who was originally from Dnipro, served in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and later in Donetsk Oblast.

He was 42. He is survived by his pregnant wife, 17-year-old daughter, and 14-year-old son.

Meanwhile, Euronews, citing its sources, reported that a technical meeting between the European Commission and Belgium on November 7 did not yield a breakthrough on how to utilize the frozen assets of the aggressor state to support Ukraine.

Sources in the Belgian government told Euronews that their concern is growing over the lack of alternative proposals from the European Commission on deploying the frozen assets for Ukraine’s financing. One source said it is essential that “every possible approach is examined with rigor and transparency, to ensure the best solution”, adding they had not yet seen such options.

The same source said that Belgium is “not yet frustrated” by the absence of other proposals from the Commission, “but the clock is ticking and we remain constructive.”

Another Euronews source said the EU still hopes to reach an agreement with Belgium, while acknowledging that time is short.

The Commission put forward a plan that allows EU governments to channel up to €185 billion – the bulk of Russia’s sovereign assets currently frozen in Europe – to Ukraine without confiscating them. However, approval has stalled due to Belgian concerns, as most of these assets are located on its territory.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a decision on using frozen Russian assets to benefit Kyiv.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

“The fact that Russians continue to strike energy and civilian infrastructure once again shows that the current pressure is insufficient. It is very important that America, Europe, and the G7 continue sanctions and tariff work on Russian energy resource trade and finances,” he stressed.