Russian Glide Strike on Ukraine Buses Kills 30, Injures 18

A Russian glide bomb attack on two buses in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, killed at least 30 people and injured 18 others, local authorities reportedly said. The attack took place on a street where two city buses were operating, near the frontline in the Donetsk region.

The local prosecutor’s office released photographs showing bodies and debris scattered across the road near the burning remains of a bus. Police said the buses were hit by a glide bomb. There was no immediate comment from Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike, saying it had hit a bus stop and warning that Russia would face a response. “This strike will not go unanswered,” he reportedly wrote on Telegram, calling on the international community to respond firmly. Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians.

Kramatorsk Faces Increasing Danger

Al Jazeera correspondent Audrey MacAlpine reportedly said glide bombs lack the precision of ballistic missiles or first-person-view drones, making it difficult to determine whether the buses were deliberately targeted or caught in the attack.

She described the incident as one of the largest and deadliest aerial attacks in recent months, highlighting the growing danger facing residents of Kramatorsk.

Key developments in the conflict include:

• Kramatorsk attack: At least 30 people were killed and 18 injured in the strike on two buses, according to local authorities.
• More civilian deaths: A later drone strike killed two people in Kramatorsk, while three others were killed in nearby Bilenke.
• Wider attacks: A Russian missile strike on a residential building in Pryluky killed 22 people, including five children.

Russia denies targeting civilians but has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian cities and infrastructure since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Kramatorsk remains one of the key cities in the eastern Donetsk region that Russian forces have yet to capture. It has served as a logistics and supply hub for the Ukrainian military and forms part of the so-called fortress belt that Ukrainian troops are trying to defend.

Russian forces have advanced close to the city's eastern outskirts, prompting calls for civilians who remain there to relocate to safer parts of Ukraine.

Kramatorsk City Council condemned the bus attack, describing it as another crime against civilians and saying there were no military targets at the location.

Russian Drone Strike Hits Yandex Data Centre

A drone strike caused a fire at a Yandex data centre in Russia’s Ryazan region, the company confirmed on Thursday. Ukraine also claimed responsibility for striking an oil refinery complex in Salavat. Separately, drone attacks killed one person in the Moscow region and damaged buildings and vehicles as per reports.

US Envoys to Meet Ukrainian Officials

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the war had reportedly reached a dangerous stalemate and could trigger a wider regional conflict. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Ukrainian officials in Miami for two days of talks aimed at reviving peace efforts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine hoped European representatives would also join the discussions. Previous negotiations have failed to achieve significant progress.