Russian strike on buses kills 33, say officials, as deadly attacks on Ukraine surge

What the report says

Rescue officials in Ukraine say a Russian glide bomb strike on two civilian buses in the frontline city of Kramatorsk killed 33 people and wounded 18. Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin accused Russia of deliberately hitting a bus carrying passengers in an attempt to kill as many civilians as possible. Local prosecutors shared images of a burned-out bus and debris at the scene, while Moscow had not commented on the attack at the time of the BBC report.

The BBC said the attack took place amid a sharp rise in Russian strikes across Ukraine and growing civilian casualties. Kramatorsk and nearby Slovyansk are part of a heavily contested area in eastern Ukraine that Russia is trying to capture as part of its wider campaign in Donetsk region. Ukrainian officials said the security situation had worsened so much that public transport in the two cities had been suspended, and residents were urged to move to safer areas.

President Volodymyr Zelensky offered condolences to the victims' families and called for more concrete international support, including new air-defence packages. The report also linked the bus strike to a broader pattern of intensified long-range attacks on cities, infrastructure and residential areas, underscoring the strain on Ukraine's air defences and the continued danger to civilians far from the front line.