Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Russian forces carried out a series of attacks on civilian targets in Dnipro, Chernihiv, Kremenchuk and Zaporizhzhia on October 29, killing dozens of people and injuring many others, including children.
Strike hits railway station in Dnipro
At around 11 a.m. on October 29, Russian forces struck Dnipro’s railway station with a jet-powered drone. A local electric train and a passenger train were at the station at the time.
The strike hit the platform where passenger train No. 866, running from Dnipro to Zaporizhzhia, was standing, according to Ukrainian Railways.
The company said an elevated threat warning had been issued before the attack, but a large number of people remained on the platform.
The Eastern Air Command reported that Russian forces had launched four jet-powered drones at Dnipropetrovsk region. Three were shot down, while one struck the platform.
At least 14 people were killed and 14 injured in Dnipro, according to the latest figures in the report. The director general of Mechnikov Hospital, quoted by Suspilne, said six people were in critical condition and had sustained multiple shrapnel wounds. Four were undergoing surgery, while doctors were trying to stabilize two others before operating on them.
Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said the severely injured included an 11-year-old boy, men aged 40 and 53, and a 26-year-old woman.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack and released footage from the scene. He said it showed why sanctions against Russia must remain in place and be strengthened.
“How many terrorist attacks has Russia carried out against our people since sanctions on some Russian oligarchs and the energy sector were lifted, instead of de-escalating?” Zelenskyy said.
“Ukraine has always said that a just and decisive response from the United States and Europe to Russian escalation is necessary. Sanctions against Moscow and its war machine must not be weakened while this Russian war continues. The time has come for new, stronger sanctions from the EU, the United States and the G7,” he added.
The strike also disrupted public transport in Dnipro. Following an equipment failure involving DTEK infrastructure, transformer substations serving the city’s electric transport system were switched off. Tram routes 5, 11, 18 and 19, along with trolleybus routes 2 and 19 and routes A and B, were suspended, Suspilne reported.
Ukrainian Railways said an air raid alert had been issued and passengers had been warned of increased danger before the attack. Train movements were suspended, and the evacuation of passengers from the electric train bound for Zaporizhzhia began more than 10 minutes before the strike.
Announcements at the station and on the train repeatedly urged people to seek shelter and move at least 200 metres away from the platform. However, some people remained near the train when the drone struck, the company said.
Ukrainian Railways warned that stations, platforms and trains continue to be targets of Russian attacks and urged passengers to follow alerts and railway staff instructions.
Attack hits central Chernihiv
Russian forces struck central Chernihiv with a “Banderol” missile-drone, hitting a busy area of the city during the day.
Cars and shops caught fire, and apartments in nearby residential buildings were damaged.
“During the day, the enemy struck Chernihiv with a ‘Banderol.’ Right in the city centre, when the streets were crowded,” regional governor Viacheslav Chaus wrote.
Two 15-year-old girls were killed, and at least 25 people were injured, including four children, according to an update from Ukraine’s patrol police chief, Oleksii Biloshytskyi. The injured children were aged 10 months, 10, 16 and 17.
Public transport along Peremohy Avenue was rerouted around the damaged section.
Chernihiv declared October 30 a day of mourning for residents killed in Russian attacks between October 21 and 29. The order was signed by deputy mayor Viktor Herashchenko.
Ukrainian flags with black ribbons were to be flown at half-mast on buildings belonging to government bodies, local authorities, businesses and other institutions. Entertainment and concert events were banned, as was the broadcasting of entertainment music in markets, shops, restaurants and public transport.
Russian strike on apartment building in Kremenchuk
Russian forces also struck a residential area in Kremenchuk, Poltava region, on October 29.
A Russian drone hit an apartment building, damaging flats and setting cars on fire in the surrounding courtyard.
The latest figures in the report put the number of injured at 32, including six children. Three people were killed.
Nine people were hospitalized, including a 16-year-old boy and a 72-year-old man who were in serious condition.
Poltava region also declared October 30 a day of mourning.
Drone strikes minibus in Zaporizhzhia
In central Zaporizhzhia, a Russian FPV drone struck a passenger minibus.
One person was injured, according to regional governor Mykhailo Semikin, who shared photographs of the aftermath.
