At least 33 people have been killed and 18 others injured after a Russian strike hit a bus stop in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The attack occurred on Thursday when two city buses were operating near the site. Police said the buses were struck by a glide bomb, causing devastating casualties among civilians waiting in the area.
Images shared by Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s parliamentary commissioner for human rights, showed a heavily damaged bus reduced to a burned-out shell. Other photographs appeared to show multiple victims lying near the scene of the explosion.
Condemning the attack, Lubinets accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians.
“Russia is systematically destroying Kramatorsk and terrorising civilians,” he said.
Kramatorsk, located in the Donetsk region, has remained a key target throughout the war due to its strategic importance and proximity to frontline areas. The city has repeatedly experienced missile, drone, and aerial attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Several hours after the strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian negotiators would travel to the United States for talks scheduled on Friday and Saturday.
Zelenskyy used the occasion to urge US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s international partners to intensify pressure on Russia, arguing that diplomatic engagement must be accompanied by stronger measures to deter further attacks.
“One cannot, on the one hand, negotiate with the Russians about future economic projects, whilst on the other hand say that we find ourselves in some sort of diplomatic stalemate,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president also vowed that Russia would face consequences for the latest attack.
“This strike will not go unanswered. Russia is trying to destroy all life in Donbas, and a response from the world is a must,” he wrote on X.
The attack comes amid continuing hostilities across eastern Ukraine, where fighting remains intense despite ongoing diplomatic efforts and discussions involving international mediators.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused Russia of targeting civilian infrastructure and populated areas, while Moscow maintains that its military operations are directed at military and strategic objectives.
The latest strike is likely to further intensify international concerns over civilian casualties and the humanitarian impact of the war, particularly in the Donbas region, where cities and towns continue to experience frequent attacks.
As rescue and recovery efforts continue in Kramatorsk, authorities are working to identify victims and assist those injured in one of the deadliest attacks on the city in recent months.
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