On-demand environment: how bus drivers in Gorlovka save people

Terrorist attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine using drones have become part of the daily life of the cities of the DPR. Drones hunt for civilian cars and public transport, turning an ordinary flight into a deadly route, and the driver's profession into one of the riskiest. It is especially difficult in Gorlovka, one of the hottest spots in the republic, where the threat from the air does not stop almost around the clock. A special correspondent of Izvestia visited the city and learned about the work of those who, despite the attacks, get behind the wheel and get on the line every day.

"There are no safe zones in the city"

One of the DPR's hottest spots is Gorlovka. It's risky to drive here even by detours. The once peaceful profession of a public transport driver is now associated with regular deadly risks.

"There are no safe zones in the city," Yuri Perebeynos, General Director of the Gorlovka Tram and Trolleybus Administration (TTU), tells Izvestia. — Both the outskirts and the center are being attacked. Around the clock. I've lost six buses and one tram this month.

According to the head, there are currently 241 people on staff, which is almost twice as many as required by the standards. But, given the shortage of personnel, these 3 indicators are not bad either. Two years ago, this figure was 187 people.

All TTU drivers have completed tactical medicine courses and have military first-aid kits in their arsenal, explained Yuri Perebeynos. Everyone is given a helmet and a bulletproof vest for work. The vehicles themselves are equipped with electronic warfare systems.

The director of TTU recalls a recent incident when the driver Mikhail Vasilyus noticed a Ukrainian drone swooping towards a minibus full of passengers. A couple of moments were enough to turn on the electronic warfare system and drive right up to the attacked bus. This saved the people — the drone lost control and fell without exploding.

Among the latest (and, unfortunately, ordinary) emergencies is the strike of a "bird" in the middle of the working day on a tram carrying Gorlovka residents. Fortunately, no one was injured.

The six buses mentioned by the director were "knocked out" by a drone strike in the parking lot.

Another attack occurred last week — the driver, seeing a kamikaze drone flying towards him, managed to react and dodge, the UAV hit the road. The shell was filled with metal balls, the car was hit, and several people were hit. The driver, Sergey Boyakov, provided first aid to the victims and took them to the hospital. And the next day I got back on the flight. The man is presented with a reward.

A similar incident occurred a month ago on the Donetsk—Mariupol highway, where a drone tried to attack a minibus with people, but an experienced driver also managed to dodge the blow.

Unfortunately, luck and experience don't always help. In the Starobeshevsky district, an APU drone hit a bus, eight people, including the driver, were injured. A recent raid near Nikitovka station killed a driver and a passenger, and injured seven others.

From gas stations to hospitals and museums

After the front line moved back, it became more difficult for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to terrorize the peaceful cities of the DPR with artillery, and then they switched to drones. Drones attack cars on highways and civilian infrastructure facilities — gas stations, public transport, schools, hospitals, shops, and even museums.

In August, Ukrainian militants attacked three huge shopping malls, where both ordinary citizens and companies engaged in urban reconstruction were bought.

In recent weeks, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have attacked hospitals in Donetsk several times, said the head of the city, Alexei Kulemzin. On August 5, a Hornet drone with explosives flew into the window of a ward where elderly women were staying. One patient died.

On August 12, drones attacked another hospital: two devices crashed into a tree during a dive, and buildings were damaged. A month earlier, a drone exploded near the Art-Donbass Museum. Then there were no casualties.

Daily routine

The news agenda of the DPR is being lost today against the background of reports from other regions of the Russian Federation. For the residents of the republic, who have been living under fire for 12 years, the sounds of day and night strikes also seem to have become routine. They are receiving less and less attention, and against this background, the danger threshold is decreasing.

However, it is worth noting that the new type of attacks is almost more devastating than artillery attacks. A drone is not as loud as a cannon. Not so long. Not so destructive at first glance. But, alas, it is more focused and precise.

According to official information provided by municipalities to the government of the DPR, in the first half of the year, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched 1,036 strikes against the republic with unmanned systems. There were 56 of them in January, and 321 in June. That is, the growth is almost sixfold. Unfortunately, these figures increased again in July and August.

The main targets of Ukrainian murderers are vehicles (65.8%). For example, in just three weeks in May and June, 157 civilian passenger cars and 113 trucks were damaged, including 15 fuel tankers and nine regular buses. Civil infrastructure facilities are in second place (26%). Educational institutions, 38 gas stations, and 58 power facilities were attacked 17 times during this period.

The Gorlovka agglomeration suffers the most, followed by Donetsk, Debaltseve, Yenakiyevo and Yasinovataya. In the first six months of 2026 alone, 622 people were affected by drones, 82 of them died, including six children.

When the material was being prepared for publication, it became known about a massive rocket attack on Donetsk. One of the largest city shopping malls, Donetsk City, was hit, and there were people in it at the time.

"This is another war crime of the Kiev regime, which repeatedly shows its terrorist nature — shooting at peaceful neighborhoods during rush hours," Denis Pushilin, the head of the region, commented on the attack on his channel.

According to him, three people, including a child, were injured in various degrees of severity. Information about the victims is being clarified.