Russian glide bomb hits buses in Kramatorsk, killing at least 30

A Russian glide bomb struck two passenger buses in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, killing at least 30 people and wounding 18. Local officials said the vehicles were hit in the centre of the front-line city in mid-morning. Images released by prosecutors showed the burning metal shells of the buses. Ukrainian officials accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians, while Moscow has not commented on the attack.

Officials said many of the bodies were too badly burned to identify. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the remains recovered from the buses were so badly burned they were not recognizable. One man at the scene believed his father had been on board and said calls to his phone went unanswered. Medics worked as drones remained overhead. The head of the police said even civilian transport had become a target for Russian terror, and public transport is now dangerous across Ukraine.

Kramatorsk is a key logistical hub for Ukrainian forces in the east. Russian forces have targeted the city regularly for months in an effort to cut supply routes. The bus attack followed a strike on Pryluky, a northern town, where a residential building was hit and 22 people were killed, including five children. Seven children were wounded. More than 50 Ukrainians were reported killed in 24 hours. The UN said more civilians had been killed in Ukraine by August this year than in all of 2025.

Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, with waves of strikes on Kyiv hitting bridges and key infrastructure. In the latest wave, part of the energy grid was hit, leaving parts of Kyiv without electricity. Officials say petrol stations, bridges and trains have also been targeted. People in the east described shelling getting worse and said there was nowhere safe. One woman, Irina, said it was frightening on any road and nobody knew when the next strike would come.

The UK Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, was on his first visit to Ukraine. He saw the site in Pryluky where 22 people died and met President Zelensky. He said Vladimir Putin once claimed he would win on the battlefield, but was now trying to win by terrorising civilians. 'I do not believe he will succeed. I do not believe he will win. We are with you as long as it takes,' he said. In Kyiv, as sirens sounded again, he said what he had seen was evidence of war crimes, though courts would make final adjudications. He said the UK saw itself as Ukraine's number one ally and would work with other allies to provide interceptors and better air defences.

Ukrainian officials said air defence was a major crisis. One official said Ukraine had a big deficit and needed many more air defence systems and packages to save lives. President Zelensky thanked the British foreign secretary for travelling with him and said the latest Russian attacks would not go unanswered. He called for a tough international response. He also said Ukraine was ready to talk about peace and would send a delegation to Washington. Russian representatives were expected to attend separate meetings.

Survivors described narrow escapes. Oksana said she ran for cover with her two-month-old baby and five-year-old child as the explosion tore through buildings. One man who had lived in his apartment for 56 years held a bag with the only belongings he could save. The global shortage of air defence systems means Ukrainians remain vulnerable to further strikes. Officials warned that Russia may be starting an early campaign against civilians before the winter months.