Russia strikes Ukraine's Dnipro with ballistic missiles, passenger train hit
Illustrative photo: Russia struck Dnipro with ballistic missiles on June 24 (facebook.com DSNSKyiv)
On Tuesday, June 24, the Russian army launched a ballistic strike on Dnipro. A series of explosions were heard in the city, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
Background
At around 11 a.m. Kyiv time, an alarm was sounded in a number of regions due to the threat of a Russian ballistic missile strike. Almost immediately, the Ukrainian Air Force reported several high-speed targets heading towards Dnipro.
A few minutes later, explosions were heard in the city.
Consequences of Russian attack
Information began to spread online that Russia had hit the Odesa-Dnipro passenger train during the strike. In particular, several videos and photos appeared showing the moment of the strike and the consequences of the Russian strike.
As RBC-Ukraine was told by the press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, preliminary information indicates that the train was damaged by a blast wave during the Russian attack.
"During the Russian attack on Dnipro, a blast wave preliminarily hit the train," the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reports.
What Ukrainian Railways says
The company also confirmed that a passenger train was damaged during the Russian attack in Dnipro. However, they clarified that train No. 52, which runs on the Odesa-Zaporizhzhia route, was damaged.
"Rescuers and ambulance crews quickly arrived at the scene. Passengers were quickly taken to shelters, as the air raid alert in the region continues," the statement said.
Ukrainian Railways is currently preparing replacement rolling stock in Dnipro to transfer passengers and deliver them to Zaporizhzhia.
Reaction of authorities
The head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, Mykola Lukashuk, urged people not to ignore the alarm.
"Dnipro has once again felt how Russia wants peace. In broad daylight, these monsters attacked the city several times. Never ignore an air raid siren. Especially when there is a reported ballistic threat," he wrote.
The head of the President's Office, Andrii Yermak, showed a video of the aftermath of the Russian strike on Dnipro and the damaged passenger train.
"The Odesa-Zaporizhzhia train was damaged as a result of a Russian ballistic missile strike on Dnipro. A civilian train, ordinary people. Russians are terrorists masquerading as a state solely to kill and enrich themselves through war," he wrote.
Russian attacks
In the morning, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that a total of 97 kamikaze drones had been launched by Russia, most of which were destroyed by air defense forces.
