SHOSTKA, Ukraine— A Russian “double-tap” drone strike on a railway station in the northeastern Sumy region of Ukraine has wounded at least 30 people, including children and railway staff, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday. The attack, which struck two passenger trains at the Shostka station, marks a brutal escalation in Russia’s campaign against Ukraine’s vital civilian infrastructure.
President Zelensky described the attack as “savage” and an undeniable act of “terrorism,” sharing video footage on social media of a mangled train carriage engulfed in flames with shattered windows.
“The Russians could not have been unaware that they were striking civilians. And this is terror the world must not ignore,” Zelensky wrote. “Only strength can make them stop.”
‘Double-Tap’ Attack Hits Rescuers
According to Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) and government officials, the strike was a sophisticated and deliberately cruel “double-tap” attack.
The initial drone strike hit a local commuter train. A second drone then targeted the same area as passengers and emergency services began to evacuate the site.
“The second strike… occurred while the evacuation was already underway,” said Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, calling the tactic one of the “most brutal Russian tactics” aimed at maximizing casualties among both civilians and rescuers.
Local prosecutors later confirmed the grim news that at least one person, a 71-year-old man, was found dead in one of the wrecked train carriages. Among the confirmed injured are at least three children.
Targeting Civilian Lifelines
The attack on the railway in Shostka, a city approximately 70 kilometers from the Russian border, underscores Moscow’s recent and intense focus on degrading Ukraine’s civilian transport and energy networks as winter approaches. Railway infrastructure, while crucial for military logistics, is also the primary lifeline for civilian travel, especially in border and frontline areas.
Oleksandr Pertsovsky, CEO of Ukraine’s national rail operator, stated that there was “no military purpose whatsoever” in the strike. “The only purpose is to sow panic among people… that the connection will be destroyed and people will be left alone,” he said, noting that the drones were “hunting for locomotives” and increasingly targeting civilian routes.
This latest strike follows a massive Russian aerial bombardment across several regions in the preceding 24 hours, which Ukrainian officials described as the biggest attack of the war on natural gas facilities. The combined assaults on gas, power grids, and now passenger rail lines suggest a renewed strategy of weaponizing the approaching cold season against the Ukrainian populace.
International Outcry
The European Union was quick to condemn the drone strike. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen denounced the “shocking scenes” and Russia’s “reckless and continued willingness to target civilians.”
Zelensky, however, demanded more than mere words. “We’ve heard resolute statements from Europe and America – and it’s high time to turn them all into reality,” he urged. “Lip service is not enough now. Strong action is needed.”