Russian Missile Strike in Kramastorsk Railway Station Kills 30, Injures 100; EU Condemns Attack in the Eastern Ukrainian City

Around 30 people were killed and more than 100 got injured when a Russian missiles hit a train station filled with evacuees in the eastern city of Kramatorsk in Ukraine, according to authorities.

Reports said that two missiles hit the railway station filled with women, children, and old civilians, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned as "an evil that has no limits."

Zelensky said that the Russians are lacking the "strength and courage" to go toe-to-toe with Ukrainian forces on the battlefield, so they resorted to "cynically destroying the civilian population."

"And if it is not punished, it will never stop," Zelensky warned.

Kramatorsk Mayor Oleksander Honcharenko estimated that 4,000 people were at the station when the attack occurred. The head of Ukrainian Railways said at least two children were among the dead in Friday's deadly attack.

The governor of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, posted a photo online displaying numerous bodies on the ground next to heaps of suitcases and other baggage. They were flanked by armed cops in flak jackets.

Another image showed firefighters putting out what appeared to be a fire, with a cloud of grey smoke billowing into the sky.

The official wrote in the post: "The 'Rashists' ('Russian fascists') knew very well where they were aiming and what they wanted: they wanted to sow panic and fear, they wanted to take as many civilians as possible."

Russia Denies Deadly Missile Attack

Reuters reported that, according to the RIA news agency, Russia's defense department denied the attack and stated the missiles that hit the station were fired by Ukraine's military and that Russia's armed forces had no targets set in Kramatorsk on Friday.

The chief of Ukrainian Railways reported three trains transporting evacuees were stopped on Thursday in the same region of Ukraine after an airstrike on the railway.

Russian military have been reorganizing for a new onslaught, as per Ukrainian officials, and Moscow intends to capture as much territory as possible in the eastern area of Ukraine known as Donbas, which borders Russia.

Local government officials urge civilians to flee from the area while it is still possible to do it safely.

The European Union Slams Russian Attack on Civilians

Meanwhile, as per CNN, a top official for foreign affairs and security policy of the European Union condemned the deadly missile strike in Kramatorsk.

The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Russia of such aggression intended to "close" the getaway paths for evacuees.

In his official Twitter account, Borrell posted that he "strongly" condemns the indiscriminate attack conducted by Russia, " which killed dozens of people and left many more wounded."

"This is yet another attempt to close escape routes for those fleeing this unjustified war and cause human suffering," the EU official said.

Borrell and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are going to meet with President Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday.

The missile strike was also slammed by European Council President Charles Michel.

As the world condemns Russian crimes in Ukraine, United Nations member countries voted 93-24 to suspend Russia's membership in the Human Rights Council, according to Euronews.

Tags

European Union, Russia, Ukraine