A Russian drone attack on a passenger train in Ukraine's Odesa region on Thursday killed two crew members, according to Ukrainian Railways. The victims were the train's machinist and his assistant, said Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, the company's CEO, in a Facebook post. None of the 340 passengers on board were harmed.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike, writing on X: "Today in the Odesa region, the Russians once again destroyed an ordinary passenger train locomotive with a jet-powered drone. There were 340 people on the train." He added: "Whoever was operating that drone certainly could not have been unaware that the target was entirely civilian."
This is not the first time Russia has targeted passenger rail infrastructure. Kyiv says such attacks are part of a broader strategy to disrupt logistics and increasingly strike civilian assets. Local media also reported strikes on port infrastructure in the Izmail district of the Odesa region. In total, Russia launched 133 drones overnight into Thursday, targeting 15 locations across Ukraine.
Record civilian toll in July
The attack comes as the United Nations documented a sharp rise in civilian casualties. In July, at least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Ukraine, a 30% increase from the previous month and a 70% jump compared with July 2025, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission. The mission called it the highest monthly death toll since May 2022, early in Russia's full-scale invasion.
The UN has verified 16,874 civilian deaths since the invasion began, but notes the actual figure is likely higher because it cannot confirm casualties in Russian-occupied territories. Kyiv has been particularly hard hit, with at least 54 civilians killed in the capital during July alone, making it one of the most affected cities.
Both sides have escalated long-range attacks this year, leading to a spike in civilian deaths, the UN said. Ukraine has also intensified its campaign against Russian critical and military infrastructure. In recent months, near-daily drone barrages targeting Russian oil facilities have caused fuel shortages, reduced refining capacity, and unsettled the Russian public.
On Thursday, a fire broke out at the Gazprom Neftohim Salavat oil refinery in Bashkortostan, one of Russia's largest, Ukrainian media reported. A fire was also reported at a nearby Wildberries logistics hub, a key component of Moscow's wartime economy.
Russia's use of ballistic missiles has proven difficult for Ukraine to intercept, prompting Zelenskyy to renew calls for more air defence systems, warning of a critical shortage. Despite long-term gaps, military aid to Ukraine reached its highest level in June since the United States halted funding in February 2025, driven largely by new EU funding. According to the Kiel Institute, Kyiv received €7.2 billion in June, the third-largest monthly military funding boost from donors since the invasion began. The EU's €90 billion loan is intended to support Ukraine's budgetary and defence needs in 2026 and 2027.
The attack on the train underscores the ongoing threat to civilian life and infrastructure, even as Ukraine's allies continue to adjust their support. The overnight drone exchanges have become a grim routine, with casualties on both sides. Meanwhile, European nations are also grappling with drone-related security challenges, as seen in Germany's expansion of its anti-drone police unit after the Leipzig airport incident. The war's ripple effects continue to shape security policies across the continent.
