 "This handout photograph taken by the Ukrainian Emergency Service and released on August 21, 2025, shows a Ukrainian emergency workers using water hoses on a fire following a Russian air attack, in Lviv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Image- AFP")
At least 30 people were killed in a Russian drone strike on a railway station in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region on Saturday (October 4), an attack President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced as “savage”.
The strike hit a station in Shostka, damaging a train bound for Kyiv, regional governor Oleh Hryhorov said, according to Reuters.
‘They were striking civilians…’: Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy posted footage on Telegram showing a burning carriage and shattered windows, saying emergency services were at the scene. “The Russians could not have been unaware that they were striking civilians. This is terror the world must not ignore,” he said. “Every day Russia takes people’s lives. Only strength can make them stop. Strong action is needed — lip service is not enough now.”
Earlier, local officials said that 30 people were injured and no fatalities were immediately reported after the incident. The attack is part of Moscow’s near-daily strikes on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure over the past two months.
Russia targets Naftogaz facilities in massive attack
The train strike came a day after Russia launched 35 missiles and 60 drones at Naftogaz facilities in Kharkiv and Poltava, in what officials described as the largest assault on gas production since the start of the war. Naftogaz chief executive Sergii Koretskyi said the attack caused “critical damage” and left more than 8,000 consumers without power, insisting there was “no military rationale” for targeting energy sites.
Energy grid under pressure as Moscow attacks power infra
Moreover, Russia’s defence ministry confirmed overnight strikes on energy and military-industrial targets. With winter approaching, Moscow has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, triggering prolonged blackouts in several regions.
Ukraine has responded with a wave of drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, hitting 19 facilities in September alone, according to Kyiv’s drone force commander. The strikes have caused fuel shortages in parts of Russia.
Peace talks remain stalled, Trump pushes for mediation
Meanwhile, peace talks remain stalled. Moscow has accused European nations of blocking negotiations, while Zelenskyy has called for tougher sanctions and pressed for direct talks with Vladimir Putin.
US President Donald Trump has cast himself as a potential mediator, urging a Zelenskyy-Putin meeting and warning Moscow of secondary sanctions if the war continues.