Ukraine: 13 killed in Russian drone strike on crowded Dnipro train station

At least 13 people were killed and five more injured when a Russian drone struck a passenger train which was stopped at a station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday morning.

According to Ukrainian state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia, a jet-powered drone struck a platform on which people were waiting to board a regional train to Zaporizhzhia, about a two-hour journey to the south.

"Despite an increased threat warning, people were on the platform," the company said.

In images circulating on social media, bodies could be seen strewn across a train station platform, with police officers kneeling beside them.

Dnipro city mayor Borys Filatov also confirmed the incident, which he called a "tragedy."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack "horrific" and demanded "international action."

DW witnesses Ukrainian train evacuation

How Russia targets Ukrainian trains

Russia has been targeting Ukrainian trains and stations since day one of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, destroying hundreds of locomotives and killing railway workers and passengers.

Faced with an increasing number of Russian drone attacks, Ukrainian trains began large-scale passenger evacuations this year — often while trains are already mid-journey.

In September alone, more than 5,800 trains had to be evacuated due to the threat of strikes, Ukrzaliznytsia told the AFP news agency.

Most evacuations take place in regions near the front line, in the south and east of the country: in Odesa, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia.

When a potential Russian strike is detected, the train comes to a halt and passengers are required to leave their carriages and wait at a safe distance until the danger has passed.

With commercial air travel in Ukraine shut down due to the war, the country's vast railway network has become essential for transporting people and goods, as well as for entering and leaving Ukraine.

Ukraine's unbreakable line: Trains to the frontline