In brief
A Ukrainian soldier, known by his call sign Omar, described the harrowing moments when a Russian drone targeted a passenger train, prompting panic among 291 passengers. His timely instructions for evacuation likely saved many lives as the carriage erupted in flames after the drone strike. The incident in northeastern Ukraine highlights the ongoing dangers faced by civilians in the war, with President Zelensky condemning the attack as an act of terrorism.
A Ukrainian soldier has described the moment a passenger train was targeted by Russian drones, killing five people. When a carriage on the train was hit in northeastern Ukraine, passengers threw themselves on the floor in panic and the military officer told them to get out immediately. Without his instruction, issued moments before the carriage burst into flames, many more passengers could have died.
The officer, whose army call-sign is Omar, is part of Ukraine's 93rd brigade. He was among the passengers travelling on a route from Chop, on the border with Slovakia, to Barvinkove, the last stop before the front line in eastern Ukraine.
The first of three Russian drones landed near the train, forcing it to come to a halt. 'Then we heard the rumble of another drone, and then an explosion,' Omar tells the BBC. 'The blast was so strong that parts of the carriage shattered into splinters.'
As the commander of a drone unit, he quickly realised he and the other passengers had to get out as the train could get hit again. In all, 291 people were on the train at the time, officials say.
Only moments after the second blast, which left the first carriage engulfed in flames, Omar urged passengers to evacuate the train to avoid further casualties.
'After the second hit, I understood that the drone operator was observing what kind of target it was hitting,' Omar says, explaining that a stationary train was an easy target. He checked the carriage for survivors and found a young woman with a baby who was terrified but alive.
The attack, which President Zelensky condemned as terrorism, struck at the heart of Ukraine's railway system - a vital lifeline for millions during the ongoing conflict. It emphasizes the vulnerability of civilians and the persistent threat posed by aerial strikes.
