Russian glide bomb kills 30 on buses in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine

A Russian glide bomb killed at least 30 people on two buses in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, on Thursday, in one of the deadliest recent attacks on Ukrainian civilians. The strike prompted the suspension of public transport in the city and renewed calls for evacuations. The attack is part of an intensifying Russian aerial campaign across Ukraine that has killed significantly more civilians in 2026 than in all of 2025.

Quick Facts

Russian glide bomb struck two buses at civilian bus stop
At least 30 people killed, 18 wounded
Bodies and debris scattered across Yuvileina Street
Two buses caught fire, one completely charred
Public transport suspended in Kramatorsk

A Russian glide bomb struck two civilian buses in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, on Thursday morning, killing at least 30 people and wounding 18, according to local authorities. The attack occurred near a bus stop on Yuvileina Street, adjacent to a dental clinic in the war-torn city located in Donetsk region near the front line. Images released by prosecutors showed bodies and debris scattered across the street and the charred remains of at least one bus. The strike also killed three people in nearby Bilenke village.

Ukrainian officials accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians. Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin stated that "a bus with passengers is an attractive target precisely because one strike can kill as many people as possible." President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strike as targeting an "ordinary public transport stop" and vowed a response, saying "This strike will not go unanswered." The city suspended all public transport following the attack.

Al Jazeera's correspondent noted that glide bombs "do not have the precision of a ballistic missile or the first-person view of something like a drone," and therefore cannot confirm whether the buses were intentionally targeted or struck by chance. Russia has not commented on the attack but denies deliberately targeting civilians, despite weeks of intensified aerial bombardment across Ukraine.

The Kramatorsk attack is part of a broader escalation of Russian strikes. On Wednesday, a Russian missile destroyed a five-storey residential building in Pryluky in northern Ukraine, killing 22 people including five children. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, visiting the Pryluky site with Zelenskyy, announced additional UK sanctions on Russia and described the attacks as evidence of Putin's "evil intent and evil strategy."

Kramatorsk and neighbouring Slovyansk are key cities in the so-called "fortress belt"—the remaining territory in northern Donetsk under Ukrainian control. Russian forces have edged closer to the city's eastern edge in recent months, intensifying attacks on the civilian population. Authorities have urged remaining residents to relocate to safer regions as the security situation deteriorates.

Simultaneously, Ukrainian forces have conducted strikes into Russian territory. A Ukrainian drone attack damaged a Yandex data centre in Ryazan region, and forces reported striking a major oil refinery complex in Salavat, approximately 1,200 kilometres east of Moscow. Ukrainian drones also reached Omsk region in western Siberia, over 2,000 kilometres from the border.

Topics

Politics World Ukraine War

#drone warfare #civilian casualties #Russia #glide bomb #military conflict #Donetsk #infrastructure attack #Putin #Zelenskyy #Kramatorsk

Entities

Why This Matters

At least 30 civilians killed in Kramatorsk; city has suspended public transport and local authorities are urging evacuations from the fortress belt cities of northern Donetsk. The attack marks part of an intensified Russian aerial campaign in 2026 that has already exceeded 2025's annual civilian casualty toll. Measurable effects include transport shutdown, potential population displacement, and escalating cross-border strikes by both sides—Russian drones have reached regions over 2,000 km from Ukraine's border, while Ukrainian forces report striking infrastructure deep within Russia.

Timeline & Sources

Feb 24, 2022

Wire

Russia launches full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Oct 7, 2026

Wire

Russian missile strike on five-storey residential building in Pryluky kills 22 people including five children

Oct 8, 2026

Wire

Russian glide bomb strikes two buses in Kramatorsk, killing at least 30 and wounding 18

Oct 8, 2026

Wire

Three additional people killed by shelling in Bilenke village

Quick Facts

Topics

Entities

Why This Matters

Timeline & Sources

Related Signals

Sources