Thirty-three people have been killed in a Russian glide bomb attack on two civilian buses in the frontline city of Kramatorsk, according to rescue officials. The attack, which also left 18 people wounded, has been condemned by Vadym Filashkin, the head of the Donetsk region, who accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians.
Context of the Attack
Images released by local prosecutors depicted the aftermath of the strike, showing the burning wreckage of the buses and debris scattered on the road. Kramatorsk, along with neighboring Slovyansk, is part of a strategic area that Russia aims to seize as part of Vladimir Putin's claim over the entire Donbas region of Ukraine.
This incident is part of a broader increase in Russian attacks across Ukraine, leading to a significant rise in civilian casualties. Air raid sirens have been sounding throughout the day in the capital, Kyiv. According to the UN, more civilians were killed in Ukraine by August this year than in all of 2022.
Recent Developments
In a separate incident earlier this week, a single attack in Pryluky, east of Kyiv, resulted in the deaths of 22 people, including five children, three of whom were just one year old. Moscow has not yet commented on the latest attack, but rescue officials confirmed that the strike caused fires on both buses carrying passengers.
