Ukraine: 14 killed in Russian drone strike on crowded Dnipro train station

According to Ukrainian state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia, a jet-powered drone struck the platform where people were waiting to board a regional train to Zaporizhzhia. Despite an increased threat warning, people were on the platform, the company said. Ukraine's air force confirmed it had intercepted three drones in the daytime attack, but a fourth evaded its defenses and hit the station.

In images circulating on social media, bodies could be seen strewn across the platform, with police officers kneeling beside them. Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergiy Koretskyi condemned the attack, stating: Russia is deliberately hunting civilians: on trains, at stations, in residential buildings. There is no justification for this terror, and there never can be.

International Response

Zelenskyy called the attack horrific and demanded international action from Ukraine's allies. Sanctions against Moscow and its war machine must not be eased for as long as this Russian war continues, he said, questioning how many such terrorist strikes Russia has carried out since sanctions were lifted on some Russian oligarchs and energy sector.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed deep concern that Russia continues to opt for escalation by targeting civilians. In this context, we must aim for much more than a localized ceasefire, he said, adding that together, we must redouble our efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace and bring Russia to the negotiating table.

Pattern of Attacks

Russia has been targeting Ukrainian trains and stations since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, destroying hundreds of locomotives and killing railway workers and passengers. Faced with increasing drone attacks, Ukrainian trains began large-scale passenger evacuations this year, often while trains are already mid-journey.

In September alone, more than 5,800 trains had to be evacuated due to the threat of strikes, according to Ukrzaliznytsia. Most evacuations occur in regions near the front line, in the south and east of the country. When a potential strike is detected, trains halt and passengers must leave their carriages and wait at a safe distance.

With commercial air travel in Ukraine shut down due to the war, the country's vast railway network has become essential for transporting people and goods, as well as for entering and leaving Ukraine. On the same day as the Dnipro attack, authorities reported at least five other fatalities from Russian strikes across Ukraine, including two 15-year-old girls killed in Chernigiv and two people killed in a drone strike on a residential building in Kremenchuk.