A crowded railway platform in Dnipro turned into a scene of rescue and loss on Thursday, when a Russian drone struck as passengers waited beside their trains. At least 14 people were killed and 14 others were wounded, Ukrainian officials said.
The strike hit the main station in Dnipro, a large city in central-eastern Ukraine, on the morning of October 29. A commuter train and a regular passenger train were standing at the platform at the time. One train was preparing to leave for Zaporizhzhia, a city to the south. The regional governor said the death toll rose during Thursday afternoon as rescuers worked through the wreckage, and the figures could still change.
The strike happened while a fragile local ceasefire was holding in another part of Ukraine, and while Kyiv and Moscow were preparing to return to US-mediated talks next month.
What happened on the platform
Ukraine’s state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, said a jet-powered drone hit a platform where the trains were standing. Ukraine’s air force said four jet-powered drones were sent toward the Dnipropetrovsk region and three were intercepted. The fourth reached the station.
Images released by Ukraine’s emergency services showed a large crater in the platform and two trains with shattered windows. Rescuers carried the wounded away on stretchers. Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov described the strike as a tragedy and said a civilian electric train had been hit.
Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said 14 people had been wounded, including an 11-year-old boy. Six of the wounded were in a severe condition with multiple shrapnel wounds, he said. One man had both legs amputated, according to the governor.
A warning was issued, but people stayed
Ukrzaliznytsia said an elevated threat level had been announced in Dnipro before the strike. Its chief, Oleksandr Pertsovsky, said many people were still on the platform when the drone hit, despite the warning.
Attacks reported beyond Dnipro
Dnipro was not the only place hit on Thursday. Local officials reported at least 20 people killed and more than 70 injured in strikes across Ukraine that day, according to figures compiled from regional authorities. The tolls were still being checked on Thursday evening.
In Chernihiv, north of Kyiv, an attack on the city centre killed two 15-year-old girls and wounded nearly two dozen other people, including four children, the head of the city’s military administration, Dmytro Bryzhynsky, said.
In Kremenchuk, in central Ukraine, a drone hit a multi-storey residential building, killing three people and wounding several others, including a six-year-old child, the local governor said. Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians.
A local truce held, but only in one place
The Dnipro strike came as a local ceasefire held into a third day in Oleshky, a town in the Kherson region that has been under Russian occupation since 2022. Residents there have faced months of shortages of food, water and medicine.
Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that it would be a huge success if the local ceasefire allowed stranded citizens to be evacuated. French President Emmanuel Macron said far more than a localised ceasefire was needed, while European Council President Antonio Costa called for greater pressure on Russia.
Zelenskyy renews call for stronger sanctions
After the attack, Zelenskyy renewed his criticism of a deal struck between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that eased some US sanctions on Russia and allowed Russian diesel onto global markets.
He asked how many such strikes Russia had carried out since sanctions were lifted on some Russian oligarchs and the energy sector. He insisted sanctions against Moscow must not be eased while the war continues, and called for new, stronger steps by the European Union, the United States and the G7.
Why railways have become a target
Railways are central to Ukrainian life and to the country’s economy. Trains move passengers, aid and exports, and they are one of the few ways many people can travel safely between cities during the war.
Russian drones have struck trains and railway infrastructure since the first days of the full-scale invasion in 2022, destroying hundreds of locomotives and killing several railway workers, according to Channel News Asia. Attacks have also intensified against energy sites in recent weeks.
Russia and Ukraine are due to meet next month with US envoys to discuss ways to end the war. For the families in Dnipro, those talks will feel distant. They were waiting for a train, and the question now is whether diplomacy can stop the drones.
FAQs
What happened in Dnipro on October 29?
A Russian jet-powered drone hit a crowded platform at Dnipro’s main station, killing at least 14 and wounding 14, officials said.
Which trains were at the platform?
A regular commuter train and a regular passenger train were standing at the platform. One train was preparing to depart for Zaporizhzhia.
Was there a warning before the strike?
Yes. Ukrzaliznytsia said an elevated threat level had been announced, but many people were still on the platform when the drone hit.
Did other cities come under attack the same day?
Yes. Two 15-year-old girls were killed in Chernihiv and three people were killed in Kremenchuk, according to local officials.
What has President Zelenskyy asked for?
Stronger sanctions from the EU, the United States and the G7, and no easing of sanctions on Moscow while the war continues.
Informeia will update this story if officials revise the casualty figures or if Russia responds to the Dnipro strike.
