Rescue officials report that thirty-three people were killed when Russian glide bombs struck two civilian buses in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, with eighteen others injured. Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians and appealed to those still in the region to move elsewhere due to increased danger. The attack is part of a surge in Russian military operations across Ukraine, resulting in more civilian casualties by August this year than in all of 2025 according to the UN.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- Published
Thirty-three people have been killed in a Russian glide bomb attack on two civilian buses in the frontline city of Kramatorsk, rescue officials say.
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officials → publish → Kramatorsk
Another 18 people were wounded, said Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin, accusing Russia of targeting a bus carrying passengers to kill as many civilians as possible.
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Filashkin → wound → civilians
Images posted by local prosecutors showed the burning metal shell of the bus along with debris and some of the victims on the road.
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Images → post → road
Kramatorsk and neighbouring Slovyansk are part of a so-called fortress belt that Russia is trying to seize as part of Vladimir Putin's claim to the entire Ukrainian industrial region of Donbas.
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Russia → neighbour → Donbas
However, Thursday's attack follows a dramatic surge in Russian attacks across the country and a heavy increase in civilian casualties.
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attack → follow → casualties
Russia is now launching constant air raids against Ukraine, with sirens ringing throughout the day in the capital Kyiv.
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sirens → launch → capital
According to the UN, Ukraine saw more civilians killed by August this year than were killed in all of 2025.
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civilians → accord → 2025
In one single attack that destroyed a five-storey block of flats in Pryluky east of Kyiv early on Wednesday, 22 people were killed, including five children.
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people → destroy → children
Moscow is yet to comment on the latest attack, however rescue officials said the attack caused a fire on two buses that were both carrying passengers.
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that → comment → passengers
Filashkin appealed to anyone who was still in the Donetsk region to move to safer regions of Ukraine.
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who → appeal → Ukraine
Given the sharp deterioration of security in the two neighbouring cities, he said all public transport had been ordered to stop.
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transport → give → cities
The safety of civilians was paramount, and "we have no right to risk the lives of passengers and drivers", he said.
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he → have → passengers
Moscow has often cited the "liberation" and "protection" of the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbas as justification for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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Moscow → cite → Ukraine
It is made up of two regions - Luhansk and Donetsk - and with most of Luhansk under Russian control, the Kremlin is also aiming to capture remaining 20% of Donetsk territory still held by Ukraine.
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Kremlin → make → Ukraine
Zelensky offered his condolences to families and loved ones affected by the latest attack and said Ukraine's partners needed to provide "concrete action through new defence packages for the protection of Ukraine".
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partners → offer → Ukraine
Ahead of the Pryluky attack, the Ukrainian leader had warned this week of warned of intelligence suggesting plans for a major Russian onslaught, and in Kyiv families responded by heading to metro stations for shelter.
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families → warn → shelter
Such warnings are for now one of the best defences Ukrainians have.
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Ukrainians → have → defences
Interceptor missiles are in short supply around the world, so Ukraine has little chance to stop incoming Russian ballistics.
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Ukraine → have → ballistics
Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range strikes on each other in recent months, with Russian attacks targeting Ukrainian data centres and logistics warehouses.
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attacks → intensify → centres
For much of the war Kramatorsk acted as a logistics and supply hub for the Ukrainian military, however it has now come under almost daily Russian attack as its military moves closer to the east of the city.
Glide bombs in particular have been launched at Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
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bombs → act → Slovyansk
The bombs are fitted with winglets so they glide towards their target rather than simply fall.
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they → fit → target
In late August as many as nine glide bombs were fired at Kramatorsk in one day.
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bombs → fire → day
Kramatorsk City Council described the strike as a "horrific crime committed by the Russian army against the civilian population".
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Council → describe → population
"Once again, the Russians have struck a location where there are absolutely no military targets."
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Russians → strike → location
The Aporia
