Russian Strike Kills Over 30 in Ukrainian Town
Two passenger buses were targeted in Kramatorsk, near the eastern frontline, authorities reported.
At least 30 people were killed in Ukraine on Thursday morning after Russian forces struck two passenger buses with glide bombs in Kramatorsk, a frontline town in the eastern Donetsk region. Dozens more sustained injuries in the attack, according to national police.
Images from the scene depicted debris and bodies strewn across the road adjacent to the charred wreckage of a bus. The City Council condemned the incident as "another horrific crime committed by the Russian army against the civilian population."
Kramatorsk is a key city in the Donetsk region that Russia has not yet captured. It has served as a logistics and supply hub for the Ukrainian military throughout the conflict. Russian forces have advanced close to the city's eastern outskirts, prompting calls for remaining civilians to evacuate to safer areas.
The strike occurred just one day after a Russian missile hit an apartment block in the Chernihiv region, resulting in 22 fatalities, including five children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously warned of intelligence indicating Russia was preparing for "massive" strikes, which coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday.
"This is the 'gift' that Putin gave himself for his birthday: the killing of children, the killing of people," Zelensky stated in an evening address on Wednesday. The report highlighted the challenges Ukraine faces in countering Russia's ballistic missiles and advanced jet-powered drones, noting that without sufficient ammunition for air defense systems like the US-made Patriot, Ukraine struggles to intercept high-speed aerial threats.
The conflict has evolved into a long-range aerial war as ground forces remain largely deadlocked. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen characterized Russia's actions as a "deliberate strategy of terror," aimed at disrupting the lives of Ukrainian civilians. Western analysts suggest Putin believes Ukraine will eventually yield under pressure and that Western support may falter.
