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

A Russian glide bomb attack on two civilian buses in Kramatorsk has killed 33 people and wounded 18, according to rescue officials. Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin accused Russia of deliberately targeting a bus to kill as many civilians as possible. Images showed the burned bus and debris along with some of the victims on the road.

Kramatorsk and Slovyansk are part of a so-called fortress belt that Russia seeks to seize. Thursday's attack follows a surge in Russian attacks across Ukraine, with a heavy increase in civilian casualties. Ukraine has seen more civilians killed by August this year than all of 2025, according to the UN. One attack in Pryluky east of Kyiv killed 22 people, including five children.

Moscow has yet to comment on the latest attack. Filashkin urged people in the Donetsk region to move to safer areas and ordered all public transport to stop. Russia justifies the invasion with the "liberation" and "protection" of the Donbas region, aiming to capture the remaining 20% of Donetsk territory still held by Ukraine. Zelensky offered condolences to the affected families and requested concrete actions from Ukraine's partners.

Families responded by heading to metro stations for shelter, and warnings are among the best defenses Ukrainians have. Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range strikes on each other in recent months. Glide bombs have been fired at Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, targeting civilian areas.