In a chilling escalation of Russia’s aerial campaign, two Ukrainian passenger trains were struck by drones within minutes of each other in the Sumy region on Saturday—killing at least one person and injuring dozens more, Ukrainian officials confirmed .
What Happened?
The first drone hit a moving passenger train, sending rescue crews rushing to evacuate survivors and treat the wounded. Before medics could finish their work, a second drone slammed into another train nearby—suggesting a coordinated, deliberate attack on civilians .
“This is terror the world must not ignore,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, condemning the strikes as part of Russia’s broader strategy to cripple civilian infrastructure and morale.
Timeline of the Attack
- Morning, Oct. 4: First drone hits passenger train in Sumy region.
- Minutes later: Second drone strikes another train at a nearby location.
- Afternoon: At least 1 fatality confirmed; dozens hospitalized with injuries.
- Evening: Zelensky denounces attack as “deliberate terrorism.”
Nuclear Plant in Peril
The train attacks come amid growing international concern over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been running solely on diesel generators since September 23 after being disconnected from Ukraine’s power grid .
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned that prolonged reliance on emergency generators poses a serious risk of nuclear meltdown. Russian forces have occupied the plant since early 2022 and recently accused Ukraine—without evidence—of causing the outage.
Broader Campaign of Destruction
This weekend’s strikes are part of a relentless wave of attacks:
- Last Sunday: ~600 drones and dozens of missiles hit Kyiv and other cities.
- Thursday–Friday: Nearly 400 drones and 35 missiles targeted gas facilities near Poltava.
- Same week: An industrial pig farm in Kharkiv was destroyed—13,000 animals killed.
Ukraine has vowed to retaliate by striking Russian oil and gas infrastructure that funds the war. Early Saturday, Ukrainian drones hit one of Russia’s largest refineries—a sign Kyiv is taking the fight deeper into enemy territory.
