Zelensky condemns deadly Russian drone strike on passenger train

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned as “terrorism” a Russian drone attack on a passenger train that local officials say killed at least four people.

Zelensky said another four people were missing after the train with more than 200 people on board was hit in Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday.

Earlier, officials in Ukraine’s southern port of Odesa said three people were killed in an overnight Russian drone attack.

Russia has not commented. Moscow has in recent months intensified its drone and missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy and transport infrastructure as the country faces its harshest winter in years.

Millions of people across Ukraine have been left without heating, electricity and water after the Russian assaults.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

In a post on social media late on Tuesday, Zelensky wrote: “In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be considered in exactly the same way – purely as terrorism”.

He said there was no “military justification” in targeting civilians, adding that there were 18 people in the carriage that was hit.

Pictures and footage released by Ukraine’s emergency services show at least one badly destroyed carriage still burning after the attack.

Kharkiv’s regional prosecutor’s office said the train was struck near the Yazykove village. One drone hit a carriage directly, and another two exploded near the train.

The office said the train was heading from the western border town of Chop to Barvinkove in the Kharkiv region via the regional capital Kharkiv.

This line runs further east to the Donetsk region, and is used by local residents as well as Ukrainian soldiers travelling to and from leave.

Separately, officials in Odesa said that overnight Russia launched more than 50 drones on the port, targeting energy and other civilian infrastructure

City military head Serhiy Lysak said three people were killed and 25 injured in the attack.

Several floors of one residential building collapsed after the strike, and a number of other buildings were damaged.

Russia’s daily aerial assaults continue even though Ukraine-Russia talks last week held the latest round of talks aimed at ending the war.

The talks that also involved US negotiators took place in the United Arab Emirate, and were hailed by all sides as constructive.

However, key territorial issues remain unresolved, and further meetings are expected this weekend.