Two drones from Russia attacked trains at a station in Ukraine’s Sumy region, resulting in one fatality and approximately 30 injuries, as confirmed by officials on Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the incident as a “brutal Russian drone strike” on the railway station in Shostka, Sumy region, sharing a video showing the aftermath of the attack. Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of intentionally targeting passenger trains with two strikes, employing what he called the “double tap” tactic to hit rescuers and evacuees.
Governor Oleh Hryhorov of the Sumy region reported that eight individuals were hospitalized due to the attack. Zelenskyy condemned the actions, stating that the Russians were aware that they were attacking civilians, labeling it as terrorism that the international community should not ignore.
Moscow has increased its airstrikes on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure, with frequent attacks occurring over the past two months. Despite numerous casualties caused by Russian military actions, Russia has consistently denied targeting civilians during the conflict.
CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi of Ukraine’s state rail company, in a video interview from a train heading to the site, disclosed that the drones specifically targeted locomotives, damaging the attached carriages as well. He mentioned that Russia has been increasingly utilizing this strategy, with the affected trains including a local commuter service and another bound for Kyiv.
Pertsovskyi highlighted that the station had only civilian traffic and suggested that the attacks aimed to create fear in areas like Shostka, located close to the Russian border, discouraging passenger traffic and normal activities in those regions.