In brief
A Russian glide‑bomb attack on two civilian buses in the eastern town of Kramatorsk has claimed at least 30 lives and injured 18 people, officials say. The strike also hit the nearby village of Bilenke, killing three residents. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the assault, demanding a strong response from allies. The attack comes amid a surge in Russian attacks on Ukraine’s industrial Donbas region.
Officials in eastern Ukraine have confirmed that a Russian glide‑bomb struck two civilian buses in Kramatorsk, killing 30 people and injuring 18 more. The attack also hit the nearby village of Bilenke, where three residents were killed.
The Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin called the attack a deliberate effort to target civilians, saying that the buses were carrying passengers to as many victims as possible. He urged residents in the front‑line region to move to safer areas.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike, demanding a strong response from Ukraine’s allies. In a Telegram post he warned that Russia was trying to “destroy all life in Donbas” and that the world must react harshly to the killings.
The attack comes as Russian forces intensify strikes in the industrial Donbas region, with Kramatorsk and neighboring Slovyansk forming a so‑called “fortress belt” that Moscow aims to seize. Reports say that glide bombs, which glide toward targets, have been used repeatedly against the two cities, with up to nine bombs fired at Kramatorsk in a single day.
Local prosecutors released photos of the damaged bus, showing flames and debris scattered across the road. The images also display several wounded victims lying on the street, underscoring the severity of the incident.
Moscow has yet to comment on the latest attack. The strike follows a dramatic surge in Russian attacks across Ukraine, with the United Nations reporting more civilian deaths in 2026 than in all of 2025 combined.
