At least two people have been killed after a Russian strike hit a passenger train in Ukraine’s southern Odessa region overnight, as Russia and Ukraine exchanged large-scale drone attacks and Kiev claimed a strike on an oil refinery deep inside Russian territory.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said on Thursday the train was struck in Berezivka district, setting the locomotive on fire. The blaze was later extinguished.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 340 people were aboard the train and accused Russia of deliberately targeting a civilian service.
“More air defence support and more pressure on Russia are needed if the world is serious about stopping this war in Europe,” Zelenskyy said on X.
Port infrastructure also hit in Odessa
Russian strikes also damaged port infrastructure in the Odessa region, according to local authorities.
A fire was reported and electricity supplies were disrupted in parts of the southeastern port city of Izmail after local power networks were damaged.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it intercepted 111 of 133 Russian drones launched overnight.
Russia’s defence ministry said its strikes targeted what it described as a temporary deployment site for Ukrainian forces in Izmail, as well as port infrastructure allegedly used to handle military cargo. It also claimed a Ukrainian Navy command post in the port of Reni was hit.
The claims could not be independently verified.
Ukraine claims strike on Russian oil refinery
Russia, meanwhile, said its air defences destroyed 362 Ukrainian drones over 17 regions, as well as over the Black Sea, Sea of Azov and annexed Crimea.
In Bashkortostan, regional authorities reported injuries and fires following drone activity. A fire broke out in an industrial area in Salavat, while Wildberries said a nearby facility was evacuated as a precaution.
Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed that its forces targeted the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refinery, saying the facility was hit and caught fire.
Kiev has stepped up long-range drone attacks against Russian logistics and energy infrastructure in recent weeks, while Moscow has continued strikes across Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
Both sides have increasingly relied on large-scale drone operations as the war continues, with civilian areas and essential infrastructure repeatedly caught in the crossfire.
