30 Killed in Russian Air Strike on Civilian Bus Stop in Kramatorsk

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – A Russian guided bomb exploded next to public buses filled with passengers in eastern Ukraine, authorities reported on Thursday, resulting in 30 fatalities as part of a series of attacks that have exacerbated power outages in the capital. The attack occurred in the morning near a bus stop in Kramatorsk, located in Ukraine's Donetsk region, leading to the suspension of public transport in the area. Oleksandr Honcharenko, head of the city’s military administration, stated that the rescue efforts were hindered by subsequent Russian drone attacks. Russia and Ukraine are engaged in a prolonged aerial conflict while their ground forces remain largely at a stalemate, more than four and a half years after Moscow's full-scale invasion. In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its aerial assaults, targeting Ukraine's infrastructure, which is critical for its economy as winter approaches. Recent targets have included energy systems, key industries, railways, post offices, shopping centers, telecom networks, gas stations, and grain exports. The attack on Thursday followed a missile strike a day earlier in Pryluky that resulted in 22 deaths, including five children, and left at least 54 people injured. Many survivors were forced to remain in heavily damaged apartments due to a lack of alternative accommodations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Pryluky on Thursday alongside British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who announced new sanctions against Russia. Zelenskyy indicated that Russia is likely to escalate missile and drone attacks as winter nears and called for increased defense support from NATO countries. He emphasized the need for tangible support in the form of new defense packages for Ukraine, including anti-ballistic capabilities and ammunition for combat aircraft. Ukraine's energy company DTEK reported that the national grid operator, Ukrenergo, has ordered emergency power outages in Kyiv. Regular rolling outages will be paused during these shutdowns. Officials are advising families to prepare emergency kits, store drinking water, and maintain backup power sources as attacks from Moscow continue. Kyiv police reported that bomb disposal specialists defused two unexploded ballistic missile warheads, each weighing approximately half a ton, that had landed near residential buildings. Late on Wednesday, Russian drones targeted Kyiv's Obolonskyi and Desnianskyi districts, resulting in four deaths and 12 injuries, including four children. Russian technology company Yandex reported damage to one of its data centers in the western Ryazan region due to a Ukrainian drone attack, which took the site offline. Additionally, Ukraine claimed that its forces struck a large oil refinery complex in Salavat, approximately 1,200 kilometers (about 750 miles) east of Moscow. The General Staff of Ukraine described the complex as one of Russia's largest oil refining and petrochemical facilities, although the claim could not be independently verified. Ukrainian drones also reached the Omsk region in western Siberia, over 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Omsk regional Governor Vitaly Khotsenko stated that most drones were intercepted by air defenses, but one drone reached a northern industrial hub. Russian independent news outlet Astra reported a fire at the Omsk oil refinery following the attack, but there was no official confirmation. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that his government has proposed measures to both Russia and Ukraine to protect civilian shipping in the Black Sea, cautioning that escalating military offensives could disrupt commercial trade and grain exports. Separately, Lithuania deployed around 100 additional soldiers to bolster security along its border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, as stated by the Baltic country’s defense minister, Robertas Kaunas.