Key facts
- At least 30 people were killed and 18 injured in a Russian attack on two buses in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on Thursday.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is trying to destroy all life in Donbas.
- Prosecutors have opened a criminal case into the attack.
- Russia has denied targeting Ukrainian civilians.
At least 30 people were killed and 18 injured in a Russian attack on two civilian buses in Kramatorsk, in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, on Thursday morning. The city council stated that the buses were carrying passengers when they were struck, describing the attack as an act of "Russian terror."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said doctors were working to save the injured and that the death toll might rise. He added that some victims were unidentifiable due to the severity of their injuries. Prosecutors have initiated a criminal investigation into the incident.
Zelenskyy vowed a "forceful response" to the attack, asserting that Russia aims to eliminate all life in Donbas and that the international community must react strongly. U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio, in an interview, expressed pessimism about a negotiated settlement, citing Russia's demand for full control of Donetsk. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that Russia's objective is to "liberate" Donbas, a claim Ukraine rejects. Moscow has not yet commented on the latest strike but has consistently denied targeting Ukrainian civilians. This attack follows a Russian missile strike on a residential building in Pryluky that killed 22 people and injured over 50, and comes amid a wave of retaliatory attacks by Russia since August.