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KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — At least 50 people were killed and 87 injured Friday at the Kramatorsk train station in eastern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials, in what they said was a Russian missile attack while evacuees were waiting to escape an expected Russian onslaught in the region. Washington Post reporters who arrived at the station 15 minutes after the attack counted at least 20 dead, including five children, amid the destruction. Among the casualties, a dozen died at the hospital.
View live politics updatesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of “cynically destroying the civilian population,” amid battlefield losses, adding: “This is an evil that has no limits.” The Russian Defense Ministry denied any involvement in the strike, calling the accusations a “provocation” and insinuating that Kyiv was responsible.
The deadly strike came as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. She made the trip a day after the European Union approved a plan to phase out Russian coal by mid-August, a move spurred by global outrage after the brutal slaying of civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.
Here’s what to know
Foreigners ready to join Ukraine’s fight must pass tougher muster
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LVIV, Ukraine — Canadian Igor Volzhanin was visiting friends here in late February, with plans to attend Louis C.K.’s stand-up comedy show in Kyiv, then jet to the Swiss Alps for a ski trip. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine upended all that, and Volzhanin instead answered President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for foreign volunteers to help Ukraine fight back.
The 34-year-old former tech entrepreneur, who grew up in Toronto, has no military experience. He signed up anyway.
“I saw the early images of women picking up guns and going to fight,” Volzhanin said, “and I thought, if I can save just one person from having to do that, I will have done something for humanity.”
Initially, Ukraine cast a wide net and was willing to accept foreign volunteers with just basic proficiency in Ukrainian or English. The process from application to acceptance for Volzhanin took 24 hours. Then, three weeks ago, the word went out that only people with combat experience and Ukrainian or English fluency need apply. The process now takes about four to seven days.
LVIV, Ukraine — Canadian Igor Volzhanin was visiting friends here in late February, with plans to attend Louis C.K.’s stand-up comedy show in Kyiv, then jet to the Swiss Alps for a ski trip. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine upended all that, and Volzhanin instead answered President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for foreign volunteers to help Ukraine fight back.
The 34-year-old former tech entrepreneur, who grew up in Toronto, has no military experience. He signed up anyway.
“I saw the early images of women picking up guns and going to fight,” Volzhanin said, “and I thought, if I can save just one person from having to do that, I will have done something for humanity.”
Initially, Ukraine cast a wide net and was willing to accept foreign volunteers with just basic proficiency in Ukrainian or English. The process from application to acceptance for Volzhanin took 24 hours. Then, three weeks ago, the word went out that only people with combat experience and Ukrainian or English fluency need apply. The process now takes about four to seven days.
Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall reveals injuries suffered in Ukraine
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Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall, who was badly injured during a March 14 shelling outside Kyiv that killed two of his colleagues, shared his first update about the extent of his injuries in a pair of social media posts on Thursday night.
“To sum it up, I’ve lost half a leg on one side and a foot on the other,” said Hall, a State Department correspondent who had been on the ground in Ukraine to cover the Russian invasion. “One hand is being put together, one eye is no longer working, and my hearing is pretty blown … but all in all I feel pretty damn lucky to be here.” He shared a photo of himself, heavily bandaged and wearing a patch over his left eye.
He also paid tribute to veteran Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and to a Ukrainian fixer for the network, Oleksandra Kuvshynova, both of whom were killed. It has not yet been established who was responsible for the shelling, but the Ukrainian ministry of defense attributed the deaths at the time to Russian forces.
Hours later, both tweets were deleted, but before then they had been shared across Twitter thousands of times, prompting an outpouring of tributes and sympathy.
Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall, who was badly injured during a March 14 shelling outside Kyiv that killed two of his colleagues, shared his first update about the extent of his injuries in a pair of social media posts on Thursday night.
“To sum it up, I’ve lost half a leg on one side and a foot on the other,” said Hall, a State Department correspondent who had been on the ground in Ukraine to cover the Russian invasion. “One hand is being put together, one eye is no longer working, and my hearing is pretty blown … but all in all I feel pretty damn lucky to be here.” He shared a photo of himself, heavily bandaged and wearing a patch over his left eye.
He also paid tribute to veteran Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and to a Ukrainian fixer for the network, Oleksandra Kuvshynova, both of whom were killed. It has not yet been established who was responsible for the shelling, but the Ukrainian ministry of defense attributed the deaths at the time to Russian forces.
Hours later, both tweets were deleted, but before then they had been shared across Twitter thousands of times, prompting an outpouring of tributes and sympathy.
Russian shelling intensifies in eastern Ukraine, officials say
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MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials in the eastern part the country said on Friday that shelling by Russian forces was intensifying throughout the region, for what they described as preparations for an all-out assault that could take place “in days.”
In a video posted on his Telegram channel, Luhansk regional Gov. Serhiy Haidai said that the situation in his region was “very bad” and that Russian forces shelled the area “constantly” with Grad and Smerch multiple rocket launchers.
“The scum don’t stop, and they are regularly raking us with fire,” he said.
Haidai also said that officials “understood clearly” that Russian troops were massing their “forces and means” in preparation for a major attack. “When it will be, we don’t know,” he said. “In the next days, unfortunately they’ll creep to us.”
Haidai urged the population to evacuate immediately and to help “your loved ones, neighbors, acquaintances, those who may not have information” to depart.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, the Donetsk regional governor, in whose region the deadly shelling of a train station in the city of Kramatorsk has killed dozens Friday, also described a worsening situation, in which other cities were coming under fire.
“They’re shelling all day, especially in Adiivka and Vuhledar,” Kyrylenko said in a television interview that was posted on his Telegram channel.
Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the Mariupol mayor’s office, rejected reports that Russian forces had gained control of the port city, where some of the heaviest fighting has taken place, and Ukrainian officials say civilian casualties could number in the thousands.
“For the second day in a row, the Russians are spreading the same news that they have taken control of the city. This does not correspond to reality,” Andryushchenko wrote on his Telegram channel.
Andryushchenko was writing from outside of Mariupol, however, and his comments could not be verified independently.
MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials in the eastern part the country said on Friday that shelling by Russian forces was intensifying throughout the region, for what they described as preparations for an all-out assault that could take place “in days.”
In a video posted on his Telegram channel, Luhansk regional Gov. Serhiy Haidai said that the situation in his region was “very bad” and that Russian forces shelled the area “constantly” with Grad and Smerch multiple rocket launchers.
“The scum don’t stop, and they are regularly raking us with fire,” he said.
Haidai also said that officials “understood clearly” that Russian troops were massing their “forces and means” in preparation for a major attack. “When it will be, we don’t know,” he said. “In the next days, unfortunately they’ll creep to us.”
Haidai urged the population to evacuate immediately and to help “your loved ones, neighbors, acquaintances, those who may not have information” to depart.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, the Donetsk regional governor, in whose region the deadly shelling of a train station in the city of Kramatorsk has killed dozens Friday, also described a worsening situation, in which other cities were coming under fire.
“They’re shelling all day, especially in Adiivka and Vuhledar,” Kyrylenko said in a television interview that was posted on his Telegram channel.
Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the Mariupol mayor’s office, rejected reports that Russian forces had gained control of the port city, where some of the heaviest fighting has taken place, and Ukrainian officials say civilian casualties could number in the thousands.
“For the second day in a row, the Russians are spreading the same news that they have taken control of the city. This does not correspond to reality,” Andryushchenko wrote on his Telegram channel.
Andryushchenko was writing from outside of Mariupol, however, and his comments could not be verified independently.
Peskov: ‘Operation’ in Ukraine may be completed in foreseeable future
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The goals of what Russia calls its “special operation” in Ukraine are being achieved both through the military and in the negotiation process, so it can be completed in the foreseeable future, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday.
Asked by journalists to clarify a statement the day before about the timing for completing the Russian military operation in Ukraine, Peskov said: “We are talking about the foreseeable future.”
“The operation continues; the goals are being achieved. Substantive work is being carried out both through the military in terms of advancing the operation, and through the negotiators who are in the negotiation process with Ukrainian counterparts,” he said.
The goals of what Russia calls its “special operation” in Ukraine are being achieved both through the military and in the negotiation process, so it can be completed in the foreseeable future, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday.
Asked by journalists to clarify a statement the day before about the timing for completing the Russian military operation in Ukraine, Peskov said: “We are talking about the foreseeable future.”
“The operation continues; the goals are being achieved. Substantive work is being carried out both through the military in terms of advancing the operation, and through the negotiators who are in the negotiation process with Ukrainian counterparts,” he said.
Zelensky impersonator flees Ukraine, helped by fake Putin, Kim Jong Un
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The day after Russia invaded his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the world that he was “the enemy’s number one target.” Around the same time, a man famous for looking startlingly like Zelensky — and who had worked for years as his impersonator — was taking shelter in a bunker while missiles rained down near the capital of Kyiv.
As the real Zelensky took to the streets of the capital, wearing a bulletproof jacket in a video he released to dispel any notion he was fleeing — even as the United States warned him of threats to his life — the fake Zelensky soon realized he needed all the help he could get.
When you look exactly like the man leading a country during a war, life becomes even more strange, and fast. As Umid Isabaev, 41, started contemplating his own precarious position, he was offered help from two unusual figures: Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The day after Russia invaded his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the world that he was “the enemy’s number one target.” Around the same time, a man famous for looking startlingly like Zelensky — and who had worked for years as his impersonator — was taking shelter in a bunker while missiles rained down near the capital of Kyiv.
As the real Zelensky took to the streets of the capital, wearing a bulletproof jacket in a video he released to dispel any notion he was fleeing — even as the United States warned him of threats to his life — the fake Zelensky soon realized he needed all the help he could get.
When you look exactly like the man leading a country during a war, life becomes even more strange, and fast. As Umid Isabaev, 41, started contemplating his own precarious position, he was offered help from two unusual figures: Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Amid shelling, Ukraine zoo gets more than 80 animals to safety
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Lions, tigers, jaguars and great apes were among the animals to be successfully transferred out of a Ukrainian zoo battered by Russian shelling.
Only days ago, staff at Feldman Ecopark in the Kharkiv region wrote on Facebook that they had been weighing whether to euthanize some of their large predators, fearful that continuous shelling would destroy enclosures and set them loose into nearby villages.
But on Thursday, it appeared the zoo did not have to take such drastic measures. Thanks to a full seven hours without shelling, more than 80 animals were transferred out of the zoo to other shelters, including the Kharkiv Zoo and destinations elsewhere in Ukraine, according to Feldman Ecopark’s Facebook.
“We are fully confident that we will be able to take out all our animals without exception,” a statement read.
Some animals did not make it.
“Today we saw the dead offspring of white tigers, panthers, jaguars and many other animals. It’s terribly sad,” according to the statement. “But the main thing is that we have something that not only inspires hope, but also leaves no doubt that everything will be fine.”
Lions, tigers, jaguars and great apes were among the animals to be successfully transferred out of a Ukrainian zoo battered by Russian shelling.
Only days ago, staff at Feldman Ecopark in the Kharkiv region wrote on Facebook that they had been weighing whether to euthanize some of their large predators, fearful that continuous shelling would destroy enclosures and set them loose into nearby villages.
But on Thursday, it appeared the zoo did not have to take such drastic measures. Thanks to a full seven hours without shelling, more than 80 animals were transferred out of the zoo to other shelters, including the Kharkiv Zoo and destinations elsewhere in Ukraine, according to Feldman Ecopark’s Facebook.
“We are fully confident that we will be able to take out all our animals without exception,” a statement read.
Some animals did not make it.
“Today we saw the dead offspring of white tigers, panthers, jaguars and many other animals. It’s terribly sad,” according to the statement. “But the main thing is that we have something that not only inspires hope, but also leaves no doubt that everything will be fine.”
Key update
Pro-Moscow journalists reported — then deleted — Russian Kramatorsk attack
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Within minutes of a missile attack that killed dozens of Ukrainian civilians waiting to evacuate from Kramatorsk railway station, pro-Russian news Telegram channels reported that the strike was aimed at Ukraine fighters or hardware, according to open source intelligence and data analysts.
The posts were swiftly deleted when the horrific civilian toll became apparent.
“10 minutes ago — strikes on the Kramatorsk train station. Working against a consolidation of Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters,” reported pro-Kremlin channel Siloviki, meaning men of power. It was reposted on other pro-Kremlin channels. One of the channels that reposted it is run by Dmitriy Steshin, a Komsomolskaya Pravda journalist.
Andrey Kamyzhikin, a journalist from pro-Kremlin ANNA Telegram channel whose reports often appear on Russian state television, also reported a strike on the train station. He said there were “reports that Ukrainian Forces brought military hardware” to the station, in reference to a potential Russian target. ANNA news posted the same information.
Kamyzhikin posted images of an explosion at the railway station and a large piece of rocket fragment. “Our sources in Kramatorsk say that about 20 minutes ago the area around the train station was targeted with a strike. There are also reports that on the eve of this the Ukrainian armed forces brought hardware there,” the report said, adding the information was being checked.
Ruslan Leviev, a Russian military analyst who runs the Conflict Intelligence Team, a group that monitors Russian military movements and actions using open source data and other sources, reported that a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel posted a warning Thursday night to those trying to leave Kramatorsk to avoid using rail.
“I advise citizens who are now evacuating from Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and nearby settlements not to leave cities on railway transport,” said the post, which was still up Friday after the attack.
Russia’s Defense Ministry denied the attack, apparently carried out by Tochka-U missiles, claiming that only Ukraine used such missiles.
However, the Conflict Intelligence Team reported last month that Russia had started using Tochka-U missiles in Ukraine, geolocating video and photos of fragments of the missile taken March 6 in the village of Desnyanka near Chernihiv.
Belarusian military tracking group MotolkoHelp reported that about 30 Russian Tochka-U missile launch systems were spotted in southern Belarus last month.
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