Russian Strike in Kramatorsk Kills at Least 33, Local Authorities Say, as Public Transport Is Suspended

At least 33 people were killed on Thursday in Kramatorsk, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, after a Russian strike set two public buses on fire, local authorities said, according to CNN. Another 18 people were injured, CNN reported.

Reuters, in an earlier dispatch the same day, put the toll at at least 12 dead and 14 wounded and described a morning attack on a street where two city buses were operating. The higher figure reported later by CNN suggests the count rose as officials worked at the scene. CNN said Donetsk police reported that Russian drones targeted officers who were helping victims, and that police were still identifying the dead.

Transport halted in two cities

Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, ordered public transport suspended in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk after the attack and urged residents who remain in the region to move to safer areas, according to CNN. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said the strike caused fires on the two buses and in the surrounding area, CNN reported.

CNN said it had sought comment from Russia’s defense ministry. Reuters noted there was no immediate Russian comment in its earlier reporting, and that Moscow denies targeting civilians.

Part of a wider campaign against the fortress belt

Kramatorsk and Sloviansk form part of what Ukrainian officials call the fortress belt in Donetsk, alongside nearby industrial cities close to the front line, according to CNN. Reuters reported that local officials say Moscow’s forces have stepped up drone and guided-bomb strikes on those cities, and that Thursday’s attack followed a day in which dozens were killed in a large Russian air attack aimed mainly at Ukraine’s power grid.

Russia has demanded that Ukraine cede the rest of Donetsk region still under Kyiv’s control before fighting stops, a condition Kyiv refuses, according to Reuters.

Reporting based on coverage by CNN and Reuters.