Ukraine: Zelensky calls Russian drone attack that killed at least 14 people at train station in Dnipro 'horrific,' calls for response from allies
"Just how many terrorist strikes has Russia carried out against our people since sanctions were lifted on certain Russian oligarchs and the Russian energy sector, rather than de-escalating?" the Ukrainian leader asked on X.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
A Russian drone crashed into the platform of a train station in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing at least 14 people. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack "horrific" and called for a clear response from Kiev's allies.
According to regional authorities cited by AFP, the projectile struck an area where a commuter train and a passenger train were located. The governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Oleksandr Ganzha, confirmed that the death toll had risen to 14 dead and another 14 injured, six of whom are in serious condition. Among the injured are an 11-year-old boy and a man who had to have both legs amputated due to multiple shrapnel wounds.
Images released by Ukrainian emergency services show bodies on the platform, rescue teams assisting victims and two burned-out passenger cars with shattered windows. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that it intercepted three jet-powered drones during the daytime attack, but a fourth managed to evade defenses and reach the station.
Local ceasefire in Oleshky remains in effect
The attack occurred as Kiev and Moscow are trying to maintain a local ceasefire in the city of Oleshky, which has been under Russian control since 2022. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced that he had set out with a delegation for Oleshky via Belarus and Russia. Both sides confirmed that the ceasefire was holding on its third day. However, Russian attacks continued in the rest of the country.
French President Emmanuel Macron reacted strongly and emphasized that "much more than a localized ceasefire" like the one in Oleshky is needed. "It is intolerable that Russia continues to reject all proposals to this end, choosing instead to pursue escalation and target civilians," he wrote on social media.
Zelensky criticizes easing of sanctions on Russia
Zelensky used the attack as an opportunity to criticize the agreement reached this month between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which eased some sanctions against Russia and allowed Moscow to sell diesel on international markets. "Just how many terrorist strikes has Russia carried out against our people since sanctions were lifted on certain Russian oligarchs and the Russian energy sector, rather than de-escalating?" asked the Ukrainian leader on X.
In addition to the attack in Dnipro, AFP reported that at least six other people were killed in various parts of Ukraine. In Chernihiv, north of Kiev, a bombing killed two 15-year-old teenagers and injured nearly two dozen people, including four children. In Kremenchuk, a drone struck a multi-story residential building, killing three people and injuring several others, including a 6-year-old child.
Russia steps up attacks ahead of winter
Zelensky called the prospect of a local cease-fire in Oleshky, facilitated by First Lady Melania Trump, will allow for the evacuation of trapped civilians. Residents who have managed to maintain contact with the city say that, due to shortages of food, water and medicine, people have resorted to hunting and eating pigeons.
Ukraine and Russia plan to meet next month with U.S. envoys in an effort to break the deadlock in the negotiations. Previous rounds of talks have failed to bring the parties any closer together. Moscow is demanding more territory in eastern Ukraine and military and political restrictions on Kiev. Ukraine and its allies argue that ceding territory would amount to a capitulation and leave the country vulnerable to further Russian attacks.
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