At least 33 people were killed and 18 injured in a Russian strike on two passenger buses in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, on Thursday, October 8, 2026, local authorities said. This attack marks the deadliest single incident of 2026 so far.
Three additional fatalities were reported in the village of Bilenke, part of the Kramatorsk community, according to Vadym Filashkin, the Donetsk Oblast Governor. The Donetsk regional prosecutor’s office initially reported 30 deaths, but rescue services later updated the toll to at least 33.
The strike occurred around 10 am local time on a street where two city buses were operating. Ukrainian police and the governor’s office stated that the attack was carried out with a guided/glide bomb dropped from an aircraft on the Russian side of the front line. The bomb ignited both buses and caused fires in the surrounding area, with emergency crews working to extinguish the blaze and pull survivors from the wreckage.
Ukraine condemns attack, opens war crimes probe
Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians to maximize casualties. He ordered an immediate suspension of public transport in Kramatorsk and nearby Sloviansk, urging residents to relocate to safer areas. Ukraine’s national police have opened a preliminary war-crimes investigation into the attack.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as a deliberate attack on civilians, describing it as hitting “an ordinary public transport stop.” He warned that doctors are still fighting to save the lives of the wounded, and the death toll could rise. Zelenskyy vowed to respond to the attack and stated that the world must react to Russia’s attempts to destroy all life in Donbas.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow regarding the incident. Russia has consistently denied targeting civilians, despite widespread documentation of strikes on residential and urban areas.
Broader context and Nepal’s involvement
The Kramatorsk attack aligns with a broader pattern this year in which Russian forces have increasingly targeted Ukraine’s transport network—buses, trains, and ports—using glide bombs and missiles to paralyze movement and endanger civilians. Kramatorsk, located about 20 km (12 miles) from the active frontline in Donetsk, is a key Ukrainian-held stronghold in the Donbas region that Moscow has long sought to capture.
The war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion. Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that at least 118 Nepali citizens serving in the Russian army have died in the conflict, with 132 missing as of February 24, 2026. Data from the Consular Services Department indicates that 219 Nepalis have been injured in the conflict. Approximately 1,500 Nepalis are estimated to have joined the Russian army, though Moscow has not released official figures. Nepal has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urged Russia to withdraw all its military forces from Ukrainian territory immediately, completely, and unconditionally.
Ukrainian negotiators are expected to visit the United States on October 8, 2026. A bilateral consultation meeting between Nepal and Russia was held in Kathmandu on October 7, 2026, discussing Nepali citizens in the Russian army, missing Nepali citizens, those held as prisoners of war in Ukraine, and compensation issues.
