Ukraine: At least 30 dead in Russian attack on Kramatorsk

The two civilian buses were stationary at a bus stop with several waiting passengers when a Russian aerial bomb struck in the morning, said Oleksandr Honcharenko, the mayor of Kramatorsk, according to Suspilne.

Both vehicles were completely destroyed.

- There are almost no safe places left in the city, says the mayor.

During the day, several of the survivors were treated in hospital. The work to identify the dead is ongoing. A day of mourning has been announced in Kramatorsk on Friday.

Part of the fortress belt

Kramatorsk is close to the front line and, together with Slovjansk, Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka, forms Ukraine's so-called "fortified belt" in the east.

The Russian military has long had its sights set on the walled cities in the important Donetsk region, the complete occupation of which constitutes an important war objective for Russia.

The towns are constantly shelled and violent battles have raged for almost a year in Kostiantynivka, the southernmost of the towns.

Bloody attacks in the days

The attack on Kramatorsk came in light of Russia's brutal airstrikes against Ukraine on Wednesday.

At least 28 people were killed and well over a hundred injured when Russian drones and robots struck a number of locations, including Pryluky east of Kyiv.