A Russian drone attack struck a crowded platform at the Dnipro railway station in central Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least 13 people and wounding 10 others, according to Ukrainian officials. Among the wounded was an 11-year-old boy.
The Ukrainian railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported that a train bound for Zaporizhzhia was at the station when the drone hit. Images from the scene showed a significant hole in the platform and a train with damaged windows.
President Zelensky stated that the drone attack targeted a platform where civilian trains were present. He reiterated his criticism of a recent deal that eased some sanctions on Russia, allowing the U.S. to import Russian diesel. Zelensky called for further sanctions on Russia from the United States, Europe, and the G7 nations.
This incident occurred amidst ongoing efforts to maintain a ceasefire in the occupied city of Oleshky. Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, reported that the truce was holding for a third day, and he was en route to Oleshky with a Ukrainian delegation.
Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry has denied deliberately targeting civilians, asserting that its attacks on railways are aimed at infrastructure used for transporting military personnel and equipment. However, statistics from Ukrzaliznytsia indicate a sharp rise in attacks on Ukraine's rail infrastructure. Since the full-scale invasion, 521 locomotives have been hit, with nearly 60% of those targeted this year. Overall attacks on railway facilities have increased from 1,206 in 2022 to 1,700 so far this year.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, two 15-year-old girls were killed and at least 11 others, including children, were injured in a separate Russian missile attack on Chernihiv city in the north of the country.