A devastating Russian strike involving glide bombs has struck two civilian buses in the frontline city of Kramatorsk, resulting in the deaths of 33 people, according to regional rescue authorities. Local officials reported that another 18 individuals sustained injuries in the bombing, condemning the action as a deliberate effort to inflict maximum casualties on non-combatants. Photographs released by regional prosecutors displayed the charred remains of a bus surrounded by wreckage and victims lying on the pavement.
In response to the escalating danger, the head of the Donetsk region urged any remaining residents in the eastern frontline zone to evacuate to safer areas further west. Authorities have also suspended all public transportation in Kramatorsk and neighboring Slovyansk due to the rapidly deteriorating security situation, emphasizing that human life must take precedence. Kramatorsk and Slovyansk form a heavily fortified urban defensive belt that Moscow's forces are attempting to capture as part of an ongoing campaign to seize the entirety of the industrial Donbas territory.
Moscow has not yet issued a statement regarding the bus strike, which coincides with a marked escalation in aerial bombardments across Ukraine. United Nations figures indicate that civilian fatalities during the first eight months of this year have already surpassed the total number recorded throughout the previous year. Just days earlier, a separate Russian missile obliterated a residential apartment block in Pryluky, east of Kyiv, claiming the lives of 22 people, including five young children.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian leadership, condemning the Pryluky bombing as evidence of aggressive intent and strategy. During the visit, he announced a new package of economic restrictions targeting Russian financial networks, energy firms, and maritime transport. He reiterated that London remains committed to supporting Ukraine until it achieves victory in the ongoing conflict.
The capital city of Kyiv has likewise faced continuous air raids, with daily siren alerts disrupting urban life, closing businesses, and driving students into underground shelters. City officials reported that recent strikes in the capital left three people dead and over a dozen wounded, adding to the strain on local infrastructure. Meanwhile, critical energy installations and municipal transit networks across the nation continue to suffer extensive damage from sustained missile and drone campaigns.
Kramatorsk has long served as an essential logistics node for Ukrainian military operations, but it now faces near-constant bombardments as ground forces push closer to its limits. Russian troops have increasingly deployed winged glide bombs against Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, allowing munitions to travel substantial distances before striking densely populated civilian zones. Municipal authorities in Kramatorsk have denounced the latest assault as a severe war crime directed exclusively at areas devoid of any military presence.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
