A Russian drone assault on a passenger train in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region has killed at least four people, with four more missing, local officials report.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as “terrorism” after the train, carrying over 200 passengers, was hit near Yazykove village on Tuesday.
One drone struck a carriage with 18 people directly, while two others exploded nearby, igniting fires. The service ran from the western border town of Chop to Barvinkove via Kharkiv, serving civilians and troops on leave. Ukraine’s emergency services released images of a wrecked, burning carriage.
Zelenskyy posted online, “In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be considered in exactly the same way—purely as terrorism.” He said there was no “military justification” in targeting civilians.
Separately, over 50 Russian drones hammered Odesa overnight, killing three and injuring 25, said military head Serhiy Lysak. An apartment block partially collapsed, with further damage to buildings and energy sites.
Moscow stayed silent. The strikes intensify Russia’s campaign against Ukraine’s infrastructure during a brutal winter, leaving millions without power, heat, or water since Vladimir Putin’s February 2022 invasion, which occupies about 20 per cent of the country.
The barrages persist despite “constructive” UAE talks last week involving Ukraine, Russia, and U.S. envoys. Territorial issues linger unresolved ahead of this weekend’s expected follow-up.