A Russian drone strike on a passenger train in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, resulted in at least five fatalities and two injuries. The attack occurred on Tuesday near a village in the region, with prosecutors confirming that fragments of five bodies were recovered from the scene. The train was en route from Chop to Barvinkove, carrying 155 passengers according to prosecutors, with 18 in the carriage that was struck. Photographs from the site showed at least two carriages on fire beside a snow-covered rail line.
Three drones were involved in the attack, with one striking the train and two others hitting the surrounding area. Ukrainian officials described the incident as a direct act of terror. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as terrorism, stating that a drone attack on a civilian train has no military purpose and undermines ongoing peace efforts. He also noted that the train carried more than 200 passengers, including those in the damaged carriage.
Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s national railway, reported that rescue teams and passengers assisted in evacuations. The chief of Ukrzaliznytsia, Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, confirmed that train services would continue, though with additional security measures. In a separate incident, over 50 Russian drones targeted Odesa, killing three and injuring more than 30, including a woman who was 39 weeks pregnant and two girls.