Russia drone strike on Ukrainian railway station kills 13

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 wounding dozens more. The attack occurred as a passenger train bound for the southern city of Zaporizhzhia sat at a platform, catching civilians who were waiting to board or greeting arriving relatives. Local officials confirmed the death toll rose to 14 by Thursday afternoon, with another 14 individuals injured, six of whom were in severe condition with multiple shrapnel wounds. Among the casualties was an 11-year-old boy, while one male victim required the amputation of both legs. Oleksandr Hanzha, the head of Dnipropetrovsk region, stated that the drone hit a crowded platform. Oleksandr Pertsovsky, the chief of Ukraine’s state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia, noted that an elevated threat level had been announced prior to the strike. However, he said a large number of people remained on the platform when the explosion occurred. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the incident as horrific, stating that the drone attacked a platform where a regular commuter train and a regular passenger train were standing. He emphasized that sanctions against Moscow and its war machine must not be eased for as long as the conflict continues. The strike was part of a broader wave of Russian attacks across Ukraine on Thursday. Authorities reported that at least 19 people were killed nationwide, including two 15-year-old girls who died in a missile attack on the center of Chernihiv in the north. Regional head Vyacheslav Chaus said at least 25 others were injured in Chernihiv, including four children. In the city of Kremenchuk in Poltava region, a drone attack on residential buildings and a school killed three people and injured 28, according to regional head Vitaliy Diakivnych. A day of mourning was declared for both Chernihiv and Dnipro on Friday. The attacks unfolded while a fragile local ceasefire held in Oleshky, a town in Kherson region occupied by Russia since 2022. This truce, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump and announced by the White House on October 23, is scheduled to end on the evening of November 1. The pause in fighting allows for the evacuation of elderly and vulnerable residents who have been trapped for years without adequate food, water, medicine, or electricity. Matthias Schmale, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, said preparations to deliver aid to Oleshky were accelerating, with deliveries potentially arriving as early as Friday. He noted that mined roads, including a stretch locally known as the road of death, had prevented safe passage, though demining operations were reportedly underway. Schmale stated that estimates suggested 200 to 300 people might leave Oleshky, leaving more than 1,000 behind who would require continued support. He warned that the town’s remaining health facility was barely functional and short of medicine, while heating and safe water remained pressing needs. The UN has no direct role in the evacuation itself, but Schmale said the organization offered support that was not taken up by other parties. Once evacuees reach government-controlled areas, they can expect food, material assistance, and potential help finding housing. International leaders reacted swiftly to the Dnipro strike. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed outrage, arguing that the situation requires far more than a localized ceasefire. Antonio Costa, the president of the European Council, called for increased pressure on Russia, describing the recent strikes as cruel and devastating. He affirmed that the EU would continue supporting Ukraine until a just and lasting peace is achieved. Zelensky linked the violence directly to recent diplomatic shifts, criticizing a deal struck earlier in the month between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin that eased some sanctions on Moscow, allowing the US to import Russian diesel. Zelensky questioned how many terrorist strikes Russia had carried out since sanctions were lifted on certain oligarchs and the energy sector. Russian state media reported on Wednesday that Washington was in talks with the Kremlin to lift sanctions on Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, measures originally imposed by the Biden administration following the full-scale invasion. The Russian military has not publicly commented on the Dnipro strike. Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s extensive railway network but denies deliberately aiming at civilians. According to figures from Ukrzaliznytsia cited by media outlets, attacks on railway facilities have surged from 1,206 in 2025 to 1,700 so far this year. Schmale highlighted that train travel remains a vital mode of transport in Ukraine, meaning travelers and railway workers face heightened risks on every journey due to military strikes and air alerts. He urged that the images from Dnipro not fade from global attention, reminding observers that behind every casualty is a person, a family, and a future permanently altered.