Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly condemned a deadly drone attack by Russian forces targeting a passenger train in the Kharkiv region. The assault killed at least four people and left another four missing, according to local officials.
The passenger train was carrying over 200 people when it was struck near the village of Yazykove in north-eastern Ukraine. The regional prosecutor’s office reported that one drone hit a carriage directly, while two others exploded nearby.
The train route connects the western border town of Chop to Barvinkove via Kharkiv, extending further to the Donetsk region. This line is heavily used by civilians and Ukrainian soldiers traveling on leave.
Zelensky labeled the attack as an act of terrorism on social media, emphasizing that targeting civilians holds no military justification. He noted that the carriage hit had 18 people onboard at the time of the assault.
Images from Ukraine’s emergency services showed at least one carriage severely damaged and still burning after the strike. The attack took place as Russia continues a campaign targeting Ukraine’s energy and transport infrastructure amid winter conditions.
Separately, Russian drone strikes overnight hit the southern port city of Odesa. Officials reported that more than 50 drones attacked energy facilities and civilian infrastructure there.
The head of the city military administration, Serhiy Lysak, said the Odesa assault killed three people and injured 25. Several floors of a residential building partially collapsed due to the blasts, with additional damage reported across the city.
The intensified drone and missile attacks come amid ongoing peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Recent talks held in the United Arab Emirates included US negotiators and were described as constructive by all sides.
Despite diplomatic engagement, key issues around territorial control remain unresolved, and further discussions are expected to continue later in the week. Currently, Moscow controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory following the full-scale invasion launched in early 2022.
Millions of Ukrainians are impacted by the sustained Russian strikes, which have caused widespread power outages and disruptions to heating and water supply during the harshest winter in years.
The attack on the passenger train marks a significant escalation in Russia’s targeting of civilian transport and infrastructure. International observers and humanitarian groups continue to call for respect of civilian safety in the conflict zone.
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