A drone attack carried out by Russia on a passenger train in northeastern Ukraine resulted in the deaths of five individuals, confirmed by prosecutors. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the incident as an act of terrorism. The strike, near a village in the Kharkiv region, left fragments of five bodies at the scene. The train was en route from Chop, near Ukraine’s western borders with Hungary and Slovakia, to the town of Barvinkove. Images shared online displayed two carriages engulfed in flames beside a snow-covered railway track.
Zelenskyy, in a message on the Telegram app, emphasized that targeting a civilian train with drones constitutes terrorism, devoid of any military justification. He underscored the importance of safeguarding lives and called for global solidarity in pressuring Russia. Prosecutors revealed that one drone hit the train while two others struck an adjacent area. Zelenskyy mentioned that the train, carrying over 200 passengers, including 18 in the impacted car, resulted in four fatalities, contrasting the initial report of 155 passengers on board.
Ukrzaliznytsia’s CEO, Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, expressed gratitude to rescue teams and passengers for their assistance and assured the public that train operations would continue despite the challenges. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Russian drones targeted the city of Odesa in southern Ukraine, resulting in three deaths and 25 injuries. These attacks are part of Moscow’s ongoing winter offensive on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, pressuring Kyiv to accept a U.S.-backed peace agreement to end the long-standing conflict.
Zelenskyy criticized Russia for launching over 50 drones at Odesa, describing it as a brutal assault undermining diplomatic efforts. The strikes in Odesa caused significant damage to residential buildings, a church, a kindergarten, and a high school, with casualties including children and a pregnant woman. Furthermore, the assault resulted in extensive destruction at an energy facility in the city. Odesa, strategically positioned on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, has suffered escalating attacks in recent months.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported a severe power outage affecting 40% of households following a drone and missile attack. Ukrainian air defenses neutralized 135 out of 165 Russian drones launched overnight. Zelenskyy called for continued international pressure on Moscow to achieve lasting peace and secure Ukraine against future aggression. Negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials, facilitated by the U.S., are scheduled to resume, with Ukraine seeking robust security assurances from its allies to prevent further hostilities.
