Russia hits passenger train in Kharkiv Oblast with drones, five killed

NV is tracking the consequences of a new Russian war crime that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described as “terrorism.”

12:42 a.m. Ten surviving railcars of the train have resumed movement and are carrying 147 passengers on a return trip to a safe location, Ukraine’s state railway Ukrzaliznytsia said.

“The delay is about five hours, but we will make up the time, and our friends from World Central Kitchen are already preparing meals in Poltava,” the statement said.

The train also picked up a group of civilians evacuated from Lozova, Ukrzaliznytsia said.

According to the railway operator, two injured passengers are in stable condition and are expected to be transported to Kharkiv.

11:17 p.m. Emergency services extinguished the fire on the struck train and found four people killed and “fragments of bodies,” the State Emergency Service said.

Rescuers said that while dealing with the aftermath of the enemy strike on a passenger railcar, they found the bodies of four people killed as well as additional fragments of bodies. The final death toll will be determined after DNA examinations.

The fire was extinguished, and emergency rescue operations were completed.

10 p.m. The Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office reported that the death toll had risen to five.

“As of this time, fragments of five bodies have been found. Identification of the dead will be possible only after DNA examinations,” the statement said.

9:36 p.m. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said four people were killed in the Russian strike on the train. Eighteen people were in the railcar hit by one of the drones, and more than 200 people were aboard the train in total.

“In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be regarded the same way — exclusively as terrorism. There could be no doubt about that qualification in Europe, America, the Arab world, China or anywhere else. There is no and can be no military purpose in killing civilians in a train car,” the head of state said, adding that Russia must be held accountable for terror.

Authorities said there were two strikes: one near the train and another directly on a railcar, causing a fire. More than 155 passengers were on board.

Prosecutors earlier reported three people killed and two injured. They also said Russian forces used three attack drones, preliminarily identified as Geran-2.

Earlier, Kharkiv regional administration head Oleh Syniehubov reported the attack on the train in the Barvinkove community of Kharkiv Oblast, noting that a railcar and the electric locomotive caught fire.

Deputy Prime Minister for Ukraine’s restoration Oleksii Kuleba also said Russian forces struck the train with three Shahed-type drones. The train was traveling on the Barvinkove–Lviv–Chop route and was carrying 291 passengers.