by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused the United States of being unwilling to help Ukraine after a Russian bomb attack killed at least 35 people in the eastern city of Kramatorsk on Thursday, bringing the reported death toll from Russian strikes across the country over two days to at least 78 people.
The latest violence has overshadowed planned peace talks in the United States, where senior Ukrainian and European officials are gathering to discuss possible steps toward ending Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Firefighters rushed to extinguish flames in Kramatorsk after an apparent Russian bomb strike hit a street where two passenger buses were operating. Bodies lay scattered across the road as emergency workers searched the wreckage for survivors.
The devastation offered another reminder of the human suffering caused by Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.
UN APPALLED
United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk said he was appalled by the attacks on civilians.
“I’m appalled by the wave of attacks killing civilians across Ukraine over the past four days, including today’s horrifying strike hitting two public buses that left at least 30 civilians dead in Kramatorsk, according to the local authorities,” he said.
“The scale and manner of these attacks, killing and injuring people on buses, at their homes and work, in different areas of the country, is reprehensible.”
GROWING CIVILIAN TOLL
The Kramatorsk bombing was among a series of Russian strikes that Ukrainian authorities said had killed more than 70 people and wounded many others across the country over two days.
The attacks have renewed concerns about civilian safety as Russia continues its missile, drone and aerial bomb campaign against Ukrainian cities and towns.
The violence also comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment, with senior officials from Ukraine and Europe travelling to Miami for a new round of U.S.-led peace discussions scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
PEACE TALKS IN MIAMI
The talks are expected to explore several proposals aimed at reducing hostilities, including a possible limited ceasefire covering the Black Sea, a vital shipping route for Ukrainian grain exports, and energy infrastructure.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy facilities, disrupting electricity supplies and raising concerns about the approaching winter.
Ukraine has responded with attacks on Russian oil refineries and other facilities linked to Moscow’s war effort.
However, the latest civilian casualties have underscored the challenges facing diplomats seeking a negotiated end to a war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has since devastated communities across Ukraine.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
