A Russian drone struck a busy platform at the railway station in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, killing at least 13 people. Ukrainian officials gave the toll, AFP and The Star reported. Regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said at least 10 others were wounded, including an 11-year-old boy. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack "horrific" and said it demanded a response from Kyiv's allies.
Zelensky said the drone hit a platform where a regular commuter train and a regular passenger train were standing. Railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said a train bound for Zaporizhzhia was at one of the platforms. Ukraine's air force said it intercepted three jet-powered drones in the daytime attack, but a fourth evaded its defences. Rescue service images showed bodies on the platform and two burnt-out trains with shattered windows.
Ukraine Railways head Oleksandr Pertsovsky said an elevated threat level had been announced before the strike. Despite the warning, he said, a large number of people were still on the platform. Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov called the attack a tragedy.
Zelensky said sanctions against Moscow must not be eased while the war continues. He called for further US, European and G7 sanctions. He also renewed his criticism of a deal struck this month between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The deal eased some sanctions on Russia's energy sector. Russia's defence ministry denies targeting civilians. It says its strikes on railways target infrastructure used to move military personnel and equipment.
Attacks on Ukraine's railways have risen sharply, according to Ukrzaliznytsia figures supplied to AFP. Almost 60% of the 521 locomotives hit since the full-scale invasion began were struck this year. Attacks on railway facilities rose from 1,206 in 2025 to 1,700 so far this year. In September alone, passengers were evacuated from more than 5,800 train services because of the drone threat, the operator told AFP.
Separate Russian attacks killed at least five other people across Ukraine on Thursday, local officials told AFP. A strike on central Chernihiv killed two 15-year-old girls. In Kremenchuk, a drone hit a residential building, killing two people.
The Dnipro strike came as a local ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky held into its third day, both sides said. US First Lady Melania Trump brokered the truce, according to AFP. Russia and Ukraine are due to meet US envoys next month to discuss ending the war. No dates have been set.