Ukraine war briefing: Outrage in Europe after Russian drone kills 14 on rail platform in Dnipro

European leaders reacted with outrage to the deadly attack by a Russian drone that slammed into a busy railway platform in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the need for "far more than a localised ceasefire", referencing the current truce in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky.

The EU council president, António Costa, described the Dnipro attacks as "cruel and devastating" and called for greater pressure on Russia after the latest strikes against civilians. "The EU will continue to increase the pressure on Russia and to support Ukraine until a just and lasting peace is achieved," he added.

Kyiv Attacked

Later on Thursday, Russian forces launched an attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with ballistic missiles, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, hitting warehouses and triggering a fire. Emergency services were headed to the scene on the east side of the Dnipro River, he said.

Civilian Casualties

Describing the Dnipro train station attack as "horrific", President Zelenskyy insisted "sanctions against Moscow and its war machine must not be eased for as long as this Russian war continues." He warned Ukraine had intelligence about preparations by the Russians of new ballistic missile strikes.

Another attack on Dnipro hit a student dormitory, setting it ablaze, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said, adding the assaults had cut power to 350,000 households. The strikes came as Ukraine and Russia kept to a fragile local ceasefire in the ravaged city of Oleshky.

Military Developments

Ukraine's military has paused its strikes on Russian oil refineries after pressure from US President Donald Trump, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Ukrainian units carrying out long-range strikes were told in mid-October that the campaign against refineries was effectively on hold once missions already in motion were completed.

After the Dnipro attack, Zelenskyy renewed his criticism of a deal struck between Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin to ease some US sanctions on Russia allowing Moscow to release diesel on to global markets. "How many such terrorist strikes has Russia carried out against our people since sanctions were lifted on some Russian oligarchs and the energy sector, instead of de-escalating?" he asked.

Putin's Response

Late on Thursday, Putin said he supported any steps aimed at restoring relations with European countries, saying the outbreak of any conflict would leave a situation with no winners. "And if anyone wants it, let them prepare, but right now they have not achieved their goal – to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. And if things go too far, there will be no winners at all," he said.