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

The death toll from a Russian drone attack on a passenger train which was stopped at a station in Dnipro in eastern Ukraine on Thursday morning has risen to 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed.

According to Ukrainian state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia, a jet-powered drone struck a crowded platform on which people were waiting to board a regional train to Zaporizhzhia, about a two-hour journey to the south.

"Despite an increased threat warning, people were on the platform," the company said.

Ukraine's air force said it had intercepted three drones in the daytime attack, but that a fourth evaded its defences and hit the station.

In images circulating on social media, bodies could be seen strewn across a train station platform, with police officers kneeling beside them.

"Russia is deliberately hunting civilians: on trains, ​at stations, in residential buildings," Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergiy Koretskyi said. "There ​is no ‌justification for this terror, and there never can be."

Dnipro city mayor Borys Filatov also confirmed the incident, which he called a "tragedy."

Zelenskyy issues veiled Trump criticism after 'horrific' attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack "horrific" and demanded international action from Kyiv's allies.

"Sanctions against Moscow and its war machine must not be eased for as long as this Russian war continues," he said.

"How many such terrorist strikes has Russia carried out against our people since sanctions were lifted on some Russian oligarchs and energy sector, instead of de-escalating?" he asked, referring to a deal struck this month between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin which saw some sanctions on Russia eased and the release of Russian diesel stocks onto global markets.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his "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 — such as the one recently negotiated for Oleshky," the French president said on social media, describing Moscow’s rejection of "all proposals to that end" as "intolerable."

"Together, we must redouble our efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace and bring Russia to the negotiating table," he said.

"These are deliberate strikes against civilians, brazen in their cruelty, and the Russians are carrying them out right as the humanitarian operation in Oleshky is unfolding," continued Zelenskyy.

"Russia's signals are clear – they want the war to continue, and everyone around the world must still work very hard to achieve major de-escalation through strong steps and appropriate pressure on the aggressor."

DW witnesses Ukrainian train evacuation

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How Russia targets Ukrainian trains

Russia has been targeting Ukrainian trains and stations since day one of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, destroying hundreds of locomotives and killing railway workers and passengers.

Faced with an increasing number of Russian 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, Ukrzaliznytsia told the AFP news agency.

Most evacuations take place in regions near the front line, in the south and east of the country: in Odesa, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia.

When a potential Russian strike is detected, the train comes to a halt and passengers are required to leave their carriages and wait at a safe distance until the danger has passed.

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.

Ukraine: More Russian attacks

Also on Thursday, authorities reported at least five other fatalities resulting from other Russian attacks across Ukraine.

A strike on the city center of Chernigiv, north of Kyiv, killed two 15-year-old girls and wounded more than a dozen, according to the head of the city's military administration.

Elsewhere, a drone slammed into a multi-storey residential building in the central city of Kremenchuk, killing two and wounding several — including a six-year-old.

Ukraine's unbreakable line: Trains to the frontline

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Edited by: Wesley Rahn