Drone strike on Dnipro railway station kills at least 13, Ukrainian officials say

A drone struck the railway station in Dnipro, central Ukraine, on Thursday, 29 October 2026, killing at least 13 people, Ukrainian officials said. Officials attributed the strike to Russia.

According to officials cited by Reuters and Daily Sabah, the drone hit a station platform where people were present. Two trains were stopped at the station at the time, according to officials cited by AP and Daily Sabah. Officials described the drone as jet-powered. Daily Sabah attributes this description to the state operator Ukrainian Railways.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave the death toll on social media. Daily Sabah quoted him as saying: "The Russians attacked the platform where a regular commuter train and a regular passenger train were standing. Unfortunately, as of now, 13 people have been confirmed dead." Dnipropetrovsk Regional Gov. Oleksandr Ganzha gave the same figure on Telegram.

Further details reported

Reuters reported, citing officials, that the strike hit the city's main railway station, on a platform crowded with people boarding a train. According to Daily Sabah, Ukrainian Railways said on Telegram that the strike hit the platform where train No. 866 Dnipro-Zaporizhzhia was standing.

Ukrainian Railways chief Oleksandr Pertsovsky said on Facebook that an elevated threat level had been announced before the strike, according to Daily Sabah. The outlet quoted him as saying: "But unfortunately there were still a large number of people on the platform." Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov said on social media that "a drone hit a civilian electric train," according to Daily Sabah.

According to Daily Sabah, Russia has fired drones on trains across Ukraine since the first days of its 2022 invasion. Daily Sabah says these strikes have destroyed hundreds of locomotives and killed several railway workers. The outlet also reported that in September passengers were evacuated from more than 5,800 Ukrainian train services because of the threat of Russian drone strikes. It attributed this figure to statements the national railway operator made to AFP.

What is disputed

The number of wounded differs between reports. AP and Daily Sabah cite officials, who are not named, as saying 10 people were wounded. Daily Sabah quoted Ganzha on Telegram as saying: "At least five more were wounded." The reports do not explain the discrepancy or say when each figure was issued.

What each side says

Zelenskyy called the strike a "horrific attack" in a post on X, according to Daily Sabah. Daily Sabah also quoted him as saying: "Fair and decisive actions by America and Europe are needed against Russian escalation." Filatov described the strike as a tragedy for the city, according to Daily Sabah. The outlet quoted him as saying: "Many people have been killed. Lots are wounded."

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any response or comment from Russia. They do not describe any independent verification of who launched the drone. They do not identify the victims or describe the damage to the trains or the station. The Reuters and AP items reviewed are brief headline summaries.

Analysis

The strike places renewed attention on the safety of Ukraine's rail network, which carries civilian passengers during the war. Pertsovsky's remark that people remained on the platform despite an elevated threat level may raise questions about warning and evacuation procedures, though the reports do not say whether an air-raid alert was active at the moment of impact. Zelenskyy's appeal to the United States and Europe signals that Kyiv may use the incident in diplomatic efforts. How partners respond is uncertain. Independent verification of responsibility, a Russian response, and a reconciled casualty count would each help clarify the event.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.