Kramatorsk: A Russian glide bomb strike on two civilian buses in the frontline Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk has killed 33 people and wounded 18 others, according to local officials, as Russian attacks intensify across Ukraine.
Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin said the strike hit buses carrying passengers and accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians. The death toll was revised upwards as emergency workers continued examining the scene.
Earlier reports from Ukrainian officials had put the number of people killed at 12 before the toll rose further. The casualty figures remain subject to change as rescue and investigative operations continue.
Images released by Ukrainian authorities showed a badly burned bus and debris scattered across the road. The attack has prompted local authorities to suspend public transport in Kramatorsk and neighbouring areas amid concerns over further strikes.
Civilian buses hit in frontline city
According to Ukrainian officials, the attack involved a Russian guided aerial bomb striking two passenger buses in Kramatorsk.
Filashkin said the buses were carrying civilians and accused Russia of seeking to inflict maximum casualties.
Kramatorsk City Council described the incident as a serious attack on the civilian population and said there were no military targets at the location, according to the statement cited in the source material.
Russia had not immediately issued a comment on the latest strike.
The attack came as Russian forces continued to use missiles, drones and glide bombs against targets across Ukraine, with civilians in frontline and urban areas facing increased risks.
Public transport suspended in Kramatorsk
Following the attack, Filashkin appealed to residents remaining in the Donetsk region to move to safer parts of Ukraine.
He also said public transport had been ordered to stop in Kramatorsk and neighbouring Slovyansk because of the deteriorating security situation.
The regional official said authorities could not risk the lives of passengers and drivers while the threat of further attacks remained high.
Kramatorsk has faced repeated Russian attacks because of its location close to the frontline. The city has also been an important logistics and supply hub for Ukrainian forces during much of the war.
As Russian forces have increased pressure in eastern Ukraine, attacks on the city have become more frequent.
Kramatorsk part of Donbas fortress belt
Kramatorsk and nearby Slovyansk form part of a chain of heavily fortified Ukrainian-held cities in Donetsk region.
The area is strategically important to Russia’s campaign to seize the remaining Ukrainian-controlled parts of Donetsk, one of the two regions that make up the Donbas.
Russia has repeatedly described the capture of Donbas as a major objective of its full-scale invasion. Most of neighbouring Luhansk region is under Russian control, while Ukrainian forces still hold territory in Donetsk.
The cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk have consequently become key points in the continuing fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Their proximity to the frontline has exposed residents to artillery, drones, missiles and aerial bombs.
Glide bombs increasingly used against eastern Ukraine
Glide bombs have become an important component of Russian attacks against Ukrainian positions and populated areas near the frontline.
Unlike conventional bombs that simply fall towards their target, glide bombs are fitted with wing-like devices that allow them to travel considerable distances after being released from aircraft.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly reported such weapons being used against cities in Donetsk region.
Kramatorsk and Slovyansk have both been targeted by glide bombs in recent months. The source material said as many as nine glide bombs were launched at Kramatorsk on a single day in late August.
The weapons pose a particular challenge because their range allows Russian aircraft to launch them from positions farther from the immediate frontline.
Civilian casualties rise across Ukraine
The Kramatorsk attack came a day after a major Russian missile and drone assault killed at least 32 civilians across Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials and Reuters.
The heaviest losses were reported in Pryluky in Chernihiv region, where a Russian missile struck a five-storey residential building. The death toll there rose to 22, including five children, while dozens more people were injured.
The wider pattern of attacks reflects a significant deterioration in the security situation for civilians.
United Nations human rights monitors reported that at least 372 civilians were killed and 2,349 injured in Ukraine in August 2026. The organisation said the combined number of civilian casualties in the first eight months of 2026 was already higher than during the whole of 2025.
Long-range weapons such as missiles and drones accounted for 47% of civilian casualties in August, according to the UN. Near the frontline, short-range drones were the leading cause of civilian casualties.
Kyiv faces repeated air raids
The increase in attacks has also been felt far from the frontline.
Kyiv has faced repeated Russian air raids, forcing residents to seek shelter in underground metro stations and other protected locations.
The October 7 attack across Ukraine involved missiles and drones and caused deaths in several regions. Ukrainian officials said more than 80% of the drones used in that assault were intercepted or suppressed, although ballistic missiles remain particularly difficult for Ukrainian air defences to stop.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed to international partners for additional air-defence systems, including Patriot missiles.
Following the latest Kramatorsk strike, Zelenskyy expressed condolences to those affected and called for further international support through additional defence packages.
Ukraine warns of continuing Russian attacks
Ukrainian authorities had warned before the latest wave of attacks that Russia could launch a major offensive.
Residents in Kyiv responded to warnings by moving into metro stations and other shelters as air-raid alerts sounded.
For civilians living in frontline cities such as Kramatorsk, however, the threat is more persistent because attacks can occur with little warning and evacuation options are becoming increasingly restricted.
The suspension of public transport in Kramatorsk illustrates the effect of the deteriorating security situation on everyday life.
The city has previously served as an important transport and logistics centre, but repeated strikes have increasingly disrupted civilian movement.
Russia and Ukraine intensify long-range strikes
The latest attacks are part of a broader escalation in long-range strikes between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian attacks have targeted infrastructure, logistics facilities and other sites across Ukraine, while Ukrainian forces have also conducted strikes against targets inside Russia.
The conflict has increasingly involved drones and long-range weapons alongside the fighting on the ground.
The UN has warned that civilians continue to bear a significant share of the consequences. Its August report found that long-range weapons caused almost half of all verified civilian casualties that month.
The continued use of such weapons means that civilians far from the immediate battlefield remain exposed to the effects of the war.
Kramatorsk residents urged to seek safety
With the latest attack killing dozens of people on civilian buses, local authorities have again urged residents to leave areas considered unsafe.
The decision to halt public transport reflects the seriousness of the threat facing Kramatorsk and nearby Slovyansk.
For residents who remain, the combination of glide bombs, drones and other weapons has made ordinary travel increasingly dangerous.
The final casualty figure from the latest strike could still change as authorities complete rescue and investigative operations.
The attack nevertheless adds to a growing toll of civilian deaths in Ukraine and highlights the continuing risks faced by people living in frontline communities.