Μake us preferred on Google A Russian drone killed at least 14 people on Thursday when it hit a crowded railway platform in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, Ukrainian officials said. Daytime strikes on two other cities killed five more people, even as a localized ceasefire in the southern Kherson region raised cautious hopes that diplomacy could resume.
Drone Hits Train Waiting to Depart
According to state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia, a jet-powered drone struck a platform at Dnipro’s main station where a commuter train was getting ready to leave for nearby Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine’s air force said it shot down three jet-powered drones during the daytime attack, but a fourth got past its defenses and hit the station. The railway operator noted that people were still on the platform despite a warning of heightened danger.
Footage released by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy showed bodies lying on the ground as rescue workers carried the injured away on stretchers. Ukrainian emergency services images also showed two burned-out passenger trains with shattered windows. Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov said on Telegram that many people had been killed and many more injured.
Prime Minister Sergiy Koretskyi accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians on trains, at stations and in their homes, saying there could never be any justification for such terror. Moscow, like Kyiv, denies deliberately attacking civilians.
Emergency employees work at a railway station hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine October 29, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Police officers work at a railway station hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine October 29, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Deadly Strikes in Chernihiv and Kremenchuk
In the northern city of Chernihiv, a drone attack on a busy downtown street killed two teenagers and wounded 23 people. Dmytro Bryzhynskyi, head of the city’s military administration, said the victims were ordinary people on their way to work and going about their day.
In the central city of Kremenchuk, a strike on an apartment building killed three people and wounded 15, according to the regional governor.
Russian drone and missile attacks on critical infrastructure, including the rail network, have made daily life increasingly dangerous for civilians and placed a heavy burden on Ukraine’s economy, taking advantage of a severe shortage of air defense missiles. According to the railway operator, passengers had to be evacuated from more than 5,800 train services in September alone because of the threat of Russian drone strikes.
Local Truce Holds in Kherson
Moscow has made clear that a six-day humanitarian ceasefire, arranged with U.S. help, covers only the southern Kherson region. The goal is to deliver aid to the Russian-held town of Oleshky, which has been cut off in a war zone since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in early 2022.
The truce began on Tuesday and is set to last through Sunday, as a humanitarian operation works to bring food and medicine to the roughly 2,000 residents still living there and evacuate anyone who wants to leave. The White House said the mission was brokered by first lady Melania Trump. On Wednesday, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, both reported no violations in Oleshky during the first 30 hours. The pause has also brought rare calm to the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson across the Dnipro River, with Lubinets saying the constantly shelled city had come back to life.
Local residents Nataliia and her son Bogdan walk in a central square near a bombed-out building during a regional ceasefire, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine, October 28, 2026. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Zelenskiy Calls for More Pressure on Moscow
Reacting to the Dnipro attack, Zelenskiy called on Ukraine’s partners to step up pressure on Russia. In a post on X, he asked how many terrorist strikes Russia had carried out against Ukrainians since sanctions were lifted on certain Russian oligarchs and the country’s energy sector, instead of de-escalating. His comment pointed to the U.S. decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports and the EU’s suspension of measures against two Russian billionaires.
A horrific Russian strike on the railway station in Dnipro. The Russians launched a drone attack on a platform where an ordinary commuter train and a scheduled passenger train were standing. Unfortunately, 13 people have been confirmed killed as of now. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Ten more people were injured. All necessary emergency services are working at the scene.
Just how many terrorist strikes has Russia carried out against our people since sanctions were lifted on certain Russian oligarchs and the Russian energy sector, rather than de-escalating? This is precisely why Ukraine has always said that just and decisive action by America and Europe is needed in response to Russian escalation – sanctions against Moscow and its war machine must not be eased for as long as this Russian war continues. It is time for new, stronger sanctions steps by the EU, the United States, and the G7. I thank everyone who is ready to help in this way.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 29, 2026
Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury suspended sanctions on Russian diesel through April 2027, after President Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin had agreed to release up to 4.8 million tons of the fuel onto world markets. The move was aimed at lowering energy prices that surged during the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.
Trump also waived new Russia sanctions under the Graham Act just before they were due to take effect, a step Zelenskiy condemned as wrong. European leaders said they regretted the U.S. decision to temporarily lift the diesel sanctions, while EU and UK restrictions on Russian refined products remain fully in force.
