At least 33 people have been killed in a Russian airstrike on Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian authorities have said. Another 18 people were injured. The attack took place on a street where two city buses were traveling, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the location as a bus stop.
The prosecutor's office initially reported 12 dead and 14 injured. Regional authorities later revised the death toll up to 30, then to 33. The figures changed as rescue efforts continued.
The strike hit a street with two buses
According to police, a Russian bomb fell on a street where two buses were traveling. Footage released by Ukrainian authorities showed scattered debris, bodies on the road and the charred body of a bus.
Donetsk regional governor Vadim Filashkin accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians. "These are not the consequences of war, nor dry statistics. These are people killed by the Russian army," he said.
"Russia is coming to Ukrainian soil with death," Filashkin said.
Public transport in Kramatorsk and Slavyansk was suspended after the attack. Rescue teams were working under the threat of new drone attacks, Ukrainian officials said.
Kramatorsk is part of Ukraine's fortified line
Kramatorsk is one of the key cities in Ukraine's defensive line in Donetsk region, which local authorities call a "fortress belt". In recent weeks, Russian forces have stepped up drone and guided bomb strikes on Kramatorsk and other towns along the line.
Moscow has demanded that Ukraine hand over the rest of Donetsk region, which is still under Kiev's control. The Ukrainian leadership has refused this demand.
The attack in Kramatorsk came a day after a massive Russian airstrike across Ukraine, which mainly hit power infrastructure. There has been no public claim of responsibility from the Russian side for the attack on the buses.
Sources: reuters.com, apnews.com, abc.net.au