Russian strike on evacuated Dnipro–Zaporizhzhia train kills conductor; second train hit same day
On 8 September, Russian forces struck the regional passenger train running the Dnipro–Zaporizhzhia route after it had been stopped and its passengers evacuated. One conductor, who reportedly returned to the train during the evacuation, was killed. Earlier the same morning, Russian drones also struck the Kyiv–Sumy train approaching Sumy; there passengers and crew were evacuated in advance with no casualties.
Key points
- On 8 September, Russian forces struck the Dnipro–Zaporizhzhia regional passenger train after it had been stopped following a detected threat.
- Passengers were evacuated to a mobile shelter near the stopping point before the strike; no passengers were injured.
- About 30 minutes after the first hit, a second strike ignited a fire in another carriage; rescue services later extinguished it.
- One conductor (providnytsia) was killed; Ukrzaliznytsia confirmed her death after initially losing contact, with testimony indicating she had returned to the train during the evacuation.
- The same morning, Russian drones struck the Kyiv–Sumy train twice on the approach to Sumy; it had been stopped after an air-raid alert and around 90 people were evacuated with no injuries.
- Ukrzaliznytsia head Oleksandr Pertsovsky reported the strikes on Facebook and called targeted strikes on passenger trains a war crime.
- Buses were organised with the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administrations to transport stranded passengers.
Why it matters
A passenger train was deliberately hit by Russian forces after its passengers had already been evacuated, and a railway worker who returned to the train during the evacuation was killed. The head of Ukrainian Railways publicly labelled the strikes a war crime. The same day, drones also struck the Kyiv–Sumy train, and firefighters had to pause and take shelter from repeated strikes, underlining a pattern of attacks on civilian rail transport in eastern and northern Ukraine.
What happened
On 8 September, Russian forces struck the regional passenger train on the Dnipro–Zaporizhzhia route. According to Ukrzaliznytsia, the train had been stopped in advance after a threat was detected during threat monitoring, and passengers were evacuated to a mobile shelter near the stopping point before the strike; none were injured. About 30 minutes after the first hit, a second strike set another carriage on fire. Rescue services extinguished the blaze, though firefighters had to pause operations and take shelter because of the constant threat of repeated strikes.
After the attack, contact was lost with one of the train's conductors. Testimony reported by Ukrzaliznytsia indicated she had returned to the train despite the ongoing evacuation and a declared heightened danger level. Ukrzaliznytsia later confirmed that the conductor was killed in the attack. Buses were organised jointly with the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administrations to transport affected passengers.
Earlier the same morning, Russian forces struck the Kyiv–Sumy passenger train with two drones as it approached Sumy. The train was stopped in advance after an air-raid alert and passengers and crew were evacuated; around 90 people were moved to safety and no one was injured, though the locomotive was reported to be almost completely burned out. On 5 September, Russian forces had also struck a passenger train heading to Kherson in the Chornobaivka area, damaging two diesel locomotives, injuring two people and prompting the evacuation of 21 passengers and the train crew.
Where reporting differs
The name of the Ukrzaliznytsia chairman who reported the strike is spelled inconsistently across Ukrainian outlets: Oleandr Pertsovsky, Oleh Pertsovsky and Oleksandr Pertsovsky(i) all appear in reporting.
Background
On 8 September, Russian forces also struck the city of Dnipro, causing a fire that rescuers had localised by 10:30, and struck the Kyiv–Sumy train approaching Sumy with two drone hits, where passengers and crew were evacuated in advance with no casualties. Three days earlier, on 5 September, Russian forces struck a passenger train heading to Kherson in the Chornobaivka area, damaging two diesel locomotives, injuring two people and prompting the evacuation of 21 passengers and the train crew.