A Russian drone strike on a railway station in the central-eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed at least 13 people and wounded several others on Thursday, according to local authorities. The attack hit a platform where a commuter train and a passenger train were waiting, in one of the deadliest single strikes on Ukraine's rail infrastructure in recent months.
Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha confirmed the death toll on Telegram, writing: "13 people were killed in a Russian attack on Dnipro. At least five more were wounded." Ukraine's national police later put the number of injured at at least 10.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as "horrific," noting that Russian forces deliberately targeted a civilian transport hub. "A regular commuter train and a regular passenger train were standing on the platform," he said in a statement, underscoring the non-military nature of the target.
Oleksandr Pertsovsky, head of Ukrainian Railways, said a heightened threat alert had been issued before the attack, but "unfortunately there were still a large number of people on the platform," as he wrote on Facebook. The railway operator has repeatedly adjusted schedules and evacuated passengers due to drone threats, but the sheer volume of attacks makes it impossible to fully protect every station.
Rail network under constant pressure
This is not the first time Russian drones have disrupted Ukraine's railways. In September alone, passengers were evacuated from more than 5,800 train services due to the threat of drone attacks, the national operator told AFP. The rail network is a lifeline for both civilian travel and military logistics, making it a persistent target for Moscow's forces.
The attack on Dnipro comes as Russia and Ukraine have intensified drone and missile exchanges, even as both sides prepare to resume US-mediated peace talks next month. The diplomatic track has so far yielded little progress, and on-the-ground violence continues to escalate.
In a separate development overnight, Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that more than 600 Ukrainian drones were launched towards the Russian capital region. "613 UAVs flew towards the Moscow region" between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, he said on Telegram. "Most were neutralised by the Defence Ministry's air defence forces on the distant approaches. 231 drones were destroyed on the approach to Moscow."
The mass drone attack on Moscow, which hosts a Russia-Africa summit this week, underscores Ukraine's growing capability to strike deep into Russian territory. It also highlights the escalating nature of the conflict, with both sides using long-range drones to target infrastructure and symbolic sites.
Zelenskyy used the Dnipro attack to renew his appeal to Western allies. "Fair and decisive actions by America and Europe are needed against Russian escalation," he said, calling for stronger air defence support and tougher sanctions. The plea comes as some European leaders debate the scope of future military aid, with Poland and the UK recently signing a defence pact to bolster regional security.
The human cost of such strikes is evident in Dnipro, a city that has endured repeated attacks throughout the war. Emergency crews worked through the night to rescue survivors from the debris, while local hospitals treated the wounded. The attack also disrupted rail services across the region, forcing delays and cancellations for thousands of passengers.
For Ukraine's rail workers, the danger is a daily reality. "We are used to the alerts, but you never get used to the loss of life," one station employee told local media, speaking on condition of anonymity. The psychological toll on civilians is immense, as they balance the need to travel with the constant threat of drones.
International reactions have been swift. The European Union's foreign policy chief called the strike "another violation of international humanitarian law," while the United Nations condemned the attack on civilian infrastructure. However, concrete action remains limited, as diplomatic efforts to end the war have yet to produce a breakthrough.
As the conflict grinds on, the resilience of Ukraine's rail network—and its people—remains a defining feature of the war. But each attack like the one on Dnipro serves as a grim reminder of the cost, and of the urgent need for a resolution that respects Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
