Russian Strike Kills at Least 33 in Kramatorsk, Ukraine

Russian Strike Kills at Least 33 in Kramatorsk, Eastern Ukraine

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — October 8, 2026: At least 33 people have been killed and 18 others injured after a Russian strike hit an area where passenger buses were operating in Kramatorsk, a frontline city in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian authorities.

The attack took place on Thursday morning and struck a street where two civilian buses were traveling. The strike caused fires and severely damaged the vehicles, while emergency crews were sent to the scene to rescue survivors and recover victims.

Ukrainian officials initially reported a lower death toll, but the number increased as rescue and recovery operations continued. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service later reported that 33 people had been killed and 18 injured.

The attack has been described by Ukrainian authorities as one of the deadliest single strikes in Ukraine this year.

Donetsk regional officials accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians. Ukrainian authorities said the location was being used by ordinary passengers and was not a military position.

Russia has repeatedly denied deliberately targeting civilians and has said its attacks are directed at military or strategic targets. The circumstances and intended target of the Kramatorsk strike have not been independently established in every detail.

Following the attack, authorities suspended public transportation in Kramatorsk and nearby Sloviansk because of the deteriorating security situation.

Kramatorsk is one of the key Ukrainian-controlled cities in Donetsk region and lies close to the front line. The city has remained an important transportation and logistics center during Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Kramatorsk strike came one day after another major Russian aerial assault on Ukraine. In the northern city of Pryluky, a Russian missile strike on a residential building killed 22 people, including children, according to Ukrainian officials. Dozens of others were injured.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the latest attacks and called on Ukraine’s international partners to provide additional air-defense systems and other military support.

Ukraine’s Air Force also reported that Russian forces launched a large number of drones overnight, with Ukrainian air defenses claiming to have intercepted most of them.

The latest attacks come as Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange long-range strikes, while diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled.

The casualty figures from the Kramatorsk attack may be updated further as authorities complete identification and recovery operations.

World News Nine will continue to update this story as verified information becomes available.

Source

This report is based on reporting from Reuters, Ukrainian authorities, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service and other international news reports. World News Nine has rewritten the information in original wording and has not reproduced the source article.