Kramatorsk strike kills at least 33, Ukrainian officials say

A strike in Kramatorsk killed at least 33 people and wounded 18, Ukrainian authorities said Thursday, as police reported that two city buses were operating on the street when it was hit. The casualty figure was higher than an earlier preliminary report of 12 dead and 14 wounded; officials said the toll was still being determined in that earlier update, and no final independently verified count was provided in the reports. Police-published images showed bodies and debris on the street and what appeared to be a charred bus. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the location as a bus stop. The available accounts did not independently establish what was struck or whether the site was deliberately targeted. Regional governor Vadym Filashkin said the attack prompted him to order authorities in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk to halt public transport, citing the risk to residents. The two cities are in Donetsk region, where local officials describe Kramatorsk and other communities as part of a defensive “fortress belt.” The Kramatorsk City Council characterized the strike as an attack on civilians and said there were no military targets at the location.