Ukrainian President Voldimia Zelensky said dozens were injured in “savage” Russian drone strikes at Ukrainian railway stations, and that the power grid had skyrocketed ahead of the fourth winter since the full invasion as Moscow was attacked by Ukrainian railways and power grids.
Zelensky said at least 30 people were injured, about the attack on Shostoka, northeast of Kiev, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the Russian border.
“All emergency services are already on the scene and are beginning to support people. All information about the injured is established,” he said in a post on X.
Oleksandr Pertsovsky, head of Ukrazaryznitya, a national railway operator in Ukraine, called it “a vulgar attack aimed at stopping communication with the frontline community.”
Russia quickly attacked two passenger trains in succession, first targeting local services and then gaining a second boundary towards Kiev, said Olexi Kleba, Ukrainian deputy prime minister and reconstruction minister. He said the second drone was hit while evacuation was underway.
“This is one of Russia’s most cruel tactics: it is what is called “double strike.” When the second strike hit rescuers and evacuated people,” Ukrainian top diplomat Andri Sibiha commented on Saturday, according to a telegram post by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Both Zelenskyy and local governor Oleh Hryhorov posted what they said was a picture of a scene showing a burning passenger carriage. According to Governor Hryhorov, the drone strike also knocked out power sources at Shostka, home to around 70,000 people before the war.
Moscow’s Pammers Ukraine Railways and Power Networks
Moscow recently stepped up airstrikes on Ukrainian railway networks. This has been essential for military transport for the past two months and has attacked it almost every day. Like the previous year since the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022the Kremlin also stepped up its attack on Ukrainian power grid. This calls for an attempt to weaponize the approaching winter by denial of civilian heat, light and running water.
One night on Saturday Russian drone The missiles slammed Ukrainian power grid again, the Ukrainian energy company said the day after officials explained it The biggest attack on Ukraine’s natural gas facilities It has been more than three and a half years since the complete invasion of Moscow.
According to local operator Chernikbobrenergo, the strike destroyed an energy facility near Chernikhv, west of Shostka, near the Russian border, causing a blackout, causing power losses, affecting around 50,000 households.
The day before, Russia launched the biggest attack of the war with natural gas facilities run by Ukrainian state-owned Naphthogaz Group, Ukrainian officials said.
Russia fired a total of 381 drones and 35 missiles in Ukraine on Friday, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Officials said it was an attempt to destroy Ukraine’s web of power ahead of the winter and reduce public support for the conflict three years ago.
Naftgers CEO Serhiy Koretzky said on Friday that the attack had no military purpose, but Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Swilydenko accused Moscow of “terrorizing civilians.” Moscow claimed a facility targeting strikes to support Kyiv’s war efforts.
Ukrainian forces reported that overnight until Saturday, Russian forces fired 109 more drones and three ballistic missiles in Ukraine. He said 73 of the drone was sent from the fire down or course.
Russia is facing a fuel shortage, as it says it hits a massive refinery
On Saturday, Ukrainian forces reported that they had attacked one of Russia’s largest oil refineries again. It said that a nighttime drone strike at the Kirisi refinery near St. Petersburg, more than 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from the Ukrainian border, caused an explosion and fire.
The refinery, run by Russian oil giant Surgutneftegas, produces nearly 17.7 million tonnes of crude oil per day (355,000 barrels per day), making it one of Russia’s top three products.
Telegram news channels from Russia and Ukraine have posted a video they say they were sent by residents near Kirisi city. They show drone-like objects ringing in the night sky illuminated by an orange glow, like lightning explodes in the background.
On Saturday, local Governor Alexander Drosdenko reported that seven drones were shot down in the night near Kirisi. He said the fire was put out in the “industrial zone” without specifying anything commenting on the damage or damage.
According to Russian officials, Ukraine repeatedly attacked the Kirisi refinery.
Russia remains the second largest oil exporter in the world. However, Moscow moved to suspend gasoline exports after maintaining seasonal rise in demand and a strike on Ukrainian drone It has caused a shortage in recent months.
French journalist was killed in eastern Ukraine
Elsewhere, Russian drone strikes were reporting from the frontlines in eastern Ukraine late Friday, killing French photojournalists.
Antoni Larikan, 37, died near the town of Durzkivka in the Donetsk region, according to a Facebook post by the fourth separate mechanized brigade. The strike also wounded Ukrainian photographer Hryhory Ivanchenko, who accompanied him, the military said.
Lallican’s work was featured by many outlets in French and international media, including Le Monde, Le Figaro, Der Spiegel, and Die Zeit. He was nominated for the RSF Press Photography Award in 2024.
He is the 14th reporter and the fourth French citizen, covering the full-scale invasion of Russia’s Ukraine that began in 2022.
