Russian Glide Bombs Kill 33 in Kramatorsk Bus Attack

Thu Oct 08 2026 12:19:39 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A Russian glide‑bomb strike on two civilian buses in Kramatorsk on the front line has left 33 dead, underscoring the surge of civilian casualties amid heightened Russian air raids.

Thirty‑three civilians were killed when Russian glide bombs struck two buses in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, officials confirmed. The attack is part of a broader uptick in Russia’s bombing campaign, which has already cost more civilians this year than the entire previous calendar year. Ukrainian leaders have urged air‑defence support and warned that the Kremlin’s drive to control the Donbas region is intensifying. Local authorities have halted public transport in the area for safety, and residents have been advised to relocate to safer regions.

Thirty‑three people were killed when Russia’s military dropped two glide bombs on civilian buses in the frontline city of Kramatorsk, rescue officials reported. The strike, which detonated inside each vehicle, caused heavy fires and shattered metal shells, leaving bodies strewn across the roadway.

Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin said the attack was aimed at a bus carrying passengers to inflict maximum civilian losses, adding that another 18 people were wounded. He warned residents of the Donetsk area to move to safer parts of Ukraine and directed that all public transport be suspended in the two cities.

This incident follows a sharp rise in Russian air raids that have targeted Ukrainian infrastructure, including data centres and warehouses. According to the United Nations, civilian deaths in Ukraine this August exceed the entire toll for 2025.

The glide bombs, fitted with winglets that allow them to "glide" toward targets, have been repeatedly used against Kramatorsk and the neighbouring city of Slovyansk. In late August, up to nine glide bombs were fired at the area in a single day.

Kramatorsk had formerly served as a logistical hub for Ukrainian forces but has come under frequent Russian attack as the Kremlin seeks to seize the eastern Donbas region. The local city council condemned the strike as a "horrific crime committed by the Russian army against the civilian population" and highlighted the absence of any military target.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy issued a statement expressing condolences to the families affected and called on international partners to deliver updated defence packages to protect Ukraine’s civilians.