On January 27, Russian forces attacked the passenger train Barvinkove–Lviv–Chop using strike drones. At the time of the attack, there were 291 passengers on board.
One of the drones struck a carriage carrying 18 people.
“Russia attacked a passenger train in the Kharkiv region with strike drones. In any country, a drone attack on a civilian train would be viewed solely as terrorism. There would be no doubt about this classification in Europe, the United States, the Arab world, China, or anywhere else. There is no—and can be no—military purpose in killing civilians on a train,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
In the Kharkiv region, fragments of five bodies were recovered at the site of the drone strike, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reported. The office noted that identification of the deceased will only be possible after DNA analysis.
“Shahed drones under online control attacked a moving passenger train. They did not strike the locomotive but targeted the middle of the train. The pilot controlling the Shahed via a MESH radio modem (Starlink?) acted deliberately and consciously. Pilots can clearly distinguish between different types of railcars. The enemy may target freight trains, justifying it as an impact on logistics, but hitting civilian trains is beyond the pale. The Russian pilot responsible—you have a first name, a last name, and a family. Today, you committed the murder of innocent people. You will have to live with that,” wrote military radio technology specialist Serhiy (Flash) Beskrestnov.
On the railway in the Barvinkove community of the Kharkiv region, four bodies and fragments of other victims were recovered following the Russian attack. The exact number of casualties is still being determined.
