Russian strike on buses kills dozens in Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk

A Russian strike hit two passenger buses in the frontline city of Kramatorsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region on Thursday morning. News outlets report differing figures for the total fatalities. DW, The Guardian, Euronews, France 24, EU Today, and Apa.az report that at least 30 people were killed and 18 wounded. BBC News and rte.ie reported the death toll reached 33, while UNITED24 Media initially put the figure at at least 12. [1][2][3][4][5][6][8][9][10]

Following the strike, local authorities in Kramatorsk suspended public transport across the city, according to reports from DW, The Guardian, Euronews, and France 24. The Kramatorsk City Council stated on Telegram that the buses were purely civilian transport and held no military targets. [1][2][3][4]

Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilian transport to maximize casualties, according to DW. The Donetsk regional prosecutor's office confirmed the official casualty figures on Thursday morning, as reported by DW, The Guardian, Euronews, and France 24. [1][2][3][4]

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, estimated military and civilian casualties have reached between 1.27 million and 2 million people. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has documented thousands of civilian deaths resulting from Russian artillery, missile, and wide-area strikes in densely populated areas. [11][13]