I just came back from Ukraine. What I saw should be a warning to the UK

A Russian jet-powered drone struck the main railway station in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 14 others, local officials reported. The impact occurred on a crowded platform where a regular commuter train and a standard passenger train were stationed. Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha stated that among the wounded was an 11-year-old boy, while six individuals sustained severe injuries involving multiple shrapnel wounds. One male victim required the amputation of both legs, according to the regional administrator. Ukraine’s state railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, identified the targeted vehicle as a passenger train bound for the southern city of Zaporizhzhia. The company noted that despite an elevated threat level announced prior to the strike, a significant number of people remained on the platform when the aircraft hit. Oleksandr Pertsovsky, the chief of the railway operator, acknowledged the failure to clear the area sufficiently before the explosion. Images released by Ukrainian rescue services depicted a large crater in the platform, scattered bodies, and two burnt-out passenger trains with shattered windows. Police officers were seen kneeling beside the deceased in footage circulated on social media. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the incident as horrific, stating that Russia used the drone to attack a platform occupied by ordinary commuters. He criticized the easing of sanctions agreed upon earlier this month between United States President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which allowed for the import of Russian diesel and lifted restrictions on certain oligarchs and the energy sector. Zelensky questioned why Russian attacks continued after these measures, arguing that sanctions against Moscow and its war machine should not be relaxed while the conflict persists. He urged the United States, Europe, and Group of Seven nations to implement new and stronger punitive measures. The attack was part of a broader wave of strikes across Ukraine on Thursday. In the northern city of Chernihiv, two girls aged 15 died in a Russian missile attack on the city center. Regional head Vyacheslav Chaus reported that at least 25 others were injured in that incident, including four children. Further south, in the city of Kremenchuk within the Poltava region, three people were killed and 28 injured when a drone hit residential buildings and a school, according to regional head Vitaliy Diakivnych. Authorities declared a day of mourning for both Dnipro and Chernihiv on Friday. International leaders responded swiftly to the violence. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed deep concern over Russia’s choice to escalate by targeting civilians. He argued that the situation requires actions far beyond the localized ceasefire currently observed in the besieged city of Oleshky. Macron described Moscow’s rejection of peace proposals as intolerable and called for renewed efforts to bring Russia to the negotiating table. European Union Council President Antonio Costa labeled the series of strikes cruel and devastating, pledging that the bloc would continue increasing pressure on Russia until a just and lasting peace is secured. He appealed to international partners to adopt similar stances. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Kornyienko accused Russia of deliberately hunting civilians on trains, at stations, and in residential areas. He asserted that there is no justification for such terror. Meanwhile, the Kremlin condemned Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, which was hosting the Russia-Africa Summit attended by delegations from 48 countries. The Moscow mayor reported that 613 Ukrainian drones were launched toward the region overnight, though most were intercepted. The Russian defense ministry maintains that its attacks on railway infrastructure target the logistics networks used for transporting military personnel and equipment, denying any intent to harm civilians. However, data from Ukrzaliznytsia indicates a sharp rise in threats to rail travel. Of the 521 locomotives damaged since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, nearly 60 percent were hit this year. Total attacks on railway facilities have increased from 1,206 in 2025 to 1,700 incidents recorded so far this year. Recent weeks have seen a wider assault on critical infrastructure, including strikes on two bridges in the capital Kyiv and a metro train. In Dnipro, the air force reported intercepting three drones during the daytime attack, but a fourth managed to evade defenses and strike the station. Hospital officials indicated that many of the injured suffered from shrapnel wounds, with four patients undergoing emergency surgery immediately after the blast. The strike highlighted the ongoing danger to passengers, as strict new rules regarding air raid alerts often require evacuations in remote areas, yet crowds frequently remain at stations due to logistical constraints or reluctance to abandon vehicles. The violent events unfolded while a fragile ceasefire held in the occupied city of Oleshky, where residents have been trapped without essential supplies for years. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets confirmed via Telegram that the truce, brokered to facilitate the evacuation of the elderly and vulnerable, remained intact into its third day. Despite this localized pause in fighting, the nationwide pattern of strikes on civilian targets and transport hubs continued unabated through Thursday.