Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned as terrorism a Russian drone attack on a crowded passenger train that local officials say killed at least five people and injured several others.
More than 200 people were on the train when one of the carriages was hit by a drone, and two other drones exploded nearby in Ukraine's north-eastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday. Zelensky stated that 18 people were in the affected carriage and emphasized that there was no military justification for targeting civilians.
While Russia has not commented on the strike, it has ramped up drone and missile attacks on Ukraine's critical energy and transport infrastructure during one of the harshest winters in years.
Elsewhere, the southern port city of Odesa faced a barrage of drone strikes that resulted in three fatalities and numerous injuries. Officials reported extensive damage to infrastructure and warned about ongoing attacks.
In the Kyiv region, residential areas were also targeted, resulting in casualties, including a couple killed and their four-year-old child injured when their home was struck.
The brutal aerial assaults have left millions of Ukrainians without heating, electricity, and water, compounding the struggles faced by civilians in the ongoing conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, and Moscow currently occupies about 20% of Ukraine's territory.
In a social media post late on Tuesday, Zelensky reiterated that a drone strike on a civilian train would be viewed as terrorism in any country. Reports from safety services indicated destroyed carriages, with significant casualties following the attack near Yazykove village.
This train line is vital for local residents as well as military personnel traveling to and from duty. It has seen increasing use amid ongoing conflict, reflecting the dire circumstances faced by civilians caught in the crossfire.
