At least 30 people have been injured following a Russian drone strike on a railway station in the city of Shostka, located in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy region, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Zelensky said preliminary reports indicate that both train staff and passengers were present at the site when the attack occurred. Emergency crews have since arrived at the scene to assist the injured and extinguish fires caused by the strike.
Zelensky also shared a video showing a damaged train carriage engulfed in flames, describing the attack as a deliberate strike on civilians. “The Russians could not have been unaware that they were targeting civilians. This is terrorism, which the world has no right to ignore,” he stated. “Every day Russia takes people’s lives. And only strength can make them stop.”
According to regional officials and Ukrainian Railways, the attack involved two separate strikes. The second strike reportedly hit while evacuation efforts were already under way, further endangering rescue personnel and civilians.
The Ukrainian president renewed his call for stronger Western support, saying, “We’ve heard resolute statements from Europe and America – and it’s high time to turn them all into reality.”
The attack comes amid an escalation in Russian aerial assaults across Ukraine. In recent weeks, Moscow has intensified its drone and missile campaigns, launching hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at major cities.
Last Sunday, a massive 12-hour assault involving nearly 50 missiles and hundreds of drones killed four people in Kyiv and injured at least 70 others.
While Western leaders, including US President Donald Trump and European allies, continue to push for an end to the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed ceasefire proposals. Kyiv and its allies accuse him of using diplomatic negotiations as stalling tactics while sustaining costly battlefield operations.
