Zelensky demands intl action after ‘horrific’ Russian railway strike

KIEV

A local man rides a bicycle beneath anti-drone nets stretched over a street during a local ceasefire related to a humanitarian aid mission in Oleshky, in Kherson, Ukraine, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (AP Photo)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the United States and Europe on Oct. 29 to take action following a “horrific” Russian drone strike on the Dnipro train station that killed at least 13 people.

“The Russians attacked the platform where a regular commuter train and a regular passenger train were standing. Unfortunately, as of now, 13 people have been confirmed dead,” Zelensky said on social media, insisting “fair and decisive actions by America and Europe are needed against Russian escalation.”

A Russian drone slammed into a platform at the Dnipro railway station in central Ukraine, where a train was parked, Ukrainian authorities said on Oct. 29.

“At least five more were wounded," Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha said on Telegram.

Dnipro mayor Borys Filatov also lamented "a tragedy" in the city, saying on social media that "a drone hit a civilian electric train."

"Many people have been killed. Lots are wounded," he said.

The state Ukrainian Railways operator said a jet-powered Russian drone had hit the Dnipro train station.

"The strike hit one of the platforms, where train No. 866 Dnipro-Zaporizhzhia was at the time," it said on Telegram.

An elevated threat level had been announced, according to the rail company's chief, Oleksandr Pertsovsky.

"But unfortunately there were still a large number of people on the platform," he said on Facebook.

Russia has fired drones on trains across Ukraine since the first days of its 2022 invasion, destroying hundreds of locomotives and killing several railway workers.

In September alone, passengers were evacuated from more than 5,800 Ukrainian train services due to the threat of Russian drone strikes, the national railway operator told AFP.

The country's vast train network is a vital form of transport in the country, where journeys between east and west can take 24 hours.

Meanwhile, more than 600 Ukrainian drones were launched toward the Moscow region overnight, with most of them shot down, the Russian capital’s mayor said early on Oct. 29 as the city hosts a Russia-Africa summit.

The leaders of 22 African countries were at the two-day meeting, according to the Kremlin.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram that “613 UAVs flew towards the Moscow region” between Oct. 28 night and Oct. 29 morning.

“Most were neutralized by the Defense Ministry’s air defence forces on the distant approaches. 231 drones were destroyed on the approach to Moscow,” he added.

Both countries in recent months stepped up their attacks using drones and other projectiles, though Moscow and Kiev are now preparing to resume peace talks, set to take place next month with U.S. mediation.

In mid-September, Ukraine launched some 1,600 drones toward the Moscow region, the largest attack of this kind in a single day since the start of the war, according to Sobyanin.