Russian strike kills at least 30 in Kramatorsk bus attack

A Russian glide bomb destroyed two city buses in the eastern Ukrainian town of Kramatorsk on Thursday morning, killing at least 30 civilians and wounding 18 others. The attack, which struck a street where buses were operating at 10 a.m. Local time, came amid a wave of strikes on Ukrainian front‑line towns.

Images released by the Donetsk regional prosecutor’s office show a charred bus shell and bodies strewn across the road. A nearby residential building also sustained damage. The governor’s office confirmed the toll and ordered the suspension of public transport in Kramatorsk and neighbouring Sloviansk.

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"These are people who were killed by the Russian army," said Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin in a Telegram post. "There is no justification for this, and there can be none."

Vadym Filashkin, Donetsk governor, via Yahoo News

Filashkin also warned that the safety of residents had become the top priority, urging those still in the Donetsk region to evacuate to safer parts of Ukraine. He described the attack as a deliberate targeting of civilians, adding that a bus full of passengers is an attractive target because a single strike can kill many people.

"For them, a bus with passengers is an attractive target precisely because one strike can kill as many people as possible," Filashkin wrote.

Vadym Filashkin, Donetsk governor, via Al Jazeera

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the bombing as an attack on an “ordinary public transport stop” and vowed a response. In a Telegram post he said the strike would not go unanswered and that Russia was attempting to destroy all life in Donbas.

"This strike will not go unanswered. Russia is attempting to destroy all life in Donbas, and the world must respond … firmly," Zelenskyy said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, via Al Jazeera

The attack is part of a broader pattern of Russian strikes on civilian targets. Earlier that week a missile hit a five‑story apartment building in the northern city of Pryluky, killing 22 people, including five children.

Kramatorsk lies in the so‑called “fortress belt” of the Donetsk region, a heavily defended zone that Russia has been trying to capture for more than a decade. The city is a major logistics hub for Ukrainian forces and has been hit repeatedly by Russian missiles, artillery, glide bombs and drones.

Moscow has repeatedly denied that it deliberately targets civilians, maintaining that all strikes are aimed at legitimate military objectives.

In the days ahead, Ukrainian authorities will continue to monitor the situation. Kramatorsk’s city council has called the strike a “horrific crime committed by the Russian army against the civilian population” and reiterated that the city remains a key target for Russian forces. The governor’s office has maintained that public transport remains suspended and that the safety of residents is paramount.

The attack underscores the persistent risk to civilians in the front‑line region and highlights the challenges of protecting non‑combatants amid a protracted conflict. International pressure, military aid and diplomatic engagement will likely intensify as Ukraine seeks to secure its eastern territories and prevent further civilian casualties.