A Russian-guided bomb struck public buses at a bus stop in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Thursday, killing at least 30 people and wounding 18, officials reported. The attack occurred during morning rush hour and is considered one of the deadliest strikes against civilians in Ukraine in recent months. Authorities also reported a separate attack nearby that killed three more individuals.
The explosion hit two buses near a dental clinic on Yuvileina Street, sending debris and bodies across the street, with images showing a charred bus wreckage. In response to the attack, public transportation in Kramatorsk and nearby Sloviansk was suspended due to ongoing threats from further Russian strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the bombing as a deliberate targeting of civilians, describing it as part of a broader "brutal" campaign by Moscow. He emphasized that many of the injured were fighting for their lives and cautioned that the death toll could rise. Regional officials echoed this sentiment, with Vadym Filashkin, governor of Donetsk, stating that those killed were not mere statistics or consequences of war but victims deliberately targeted by the Russian military.
The strike in Kramatorsk follows a wave of missile attacks across Ukraine the previous day, including a Russian missile strike on a residential building in Pryluky, about 150 kilometers east of Kyiv. That attack killed at least 22 people, including five children, and injured dozens as rescuers searched through the rubble. Kyiv also suffered casualties from strikes that killed three people. The overall death toll from Russian attacks over the past day and a half has reached at least 64.
Officials in Kramatorsk and human rights representatives accused Russia of systematically targeting civilian infrastructure and using aerial bombs to inflict maximum harm. Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has frequently launched aerial and missile attacks on populated areas, which international legal experts consider potential war crimes due to the deliberate targeting of civilians.
The attacks occurred amid heightened Russian efforts to pressure Ukraine militarily, following setbacks on the battlefield. Ukrainian forces have recently regained territory in the eastern Donbas region, including near Kramatorsk, thwarting Russian attempts to encircle key cities. Analysts noted that Russia experienced significant net territorial losses in September, the largest since mid-2023. Zelensky described Moscow’s escalation of attacks on civilians as a response to military defeats.
In the wake of the attacks, Ukraine’s largest energy provider, DTEK, reported power cuts in Kyiv and surrounding areas caused by damage to energy infrastructure from Russian strikes. Air raid sirens and explosions were reported in the capital as Ukrainian air defenses intercepted incoming drone and missile attacks.
Amid these developments, Western officials pledged continued support for Ukraine’s defense capabilities. The UK announced new sanctions targeting Russian oil companies, tankers involved in the shadow fleet, and military supply chains. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband condemned the attacks on civilians and described Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy as “evil.” Zelensky urged allies to increase supplies of anti-ballistic equipment and ammunition to help Ukraine protect its cities during the intensifying winter campaign.