In a brutal assault described as “savage” by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a Russian drone strike targeted a Ukrainian railway station on Saturday, October 4, 2025, leaving dozens injured. This attack marks a significant escalation in Moscow’s strategy to intensify strikes on Ukraine’s crucial rail and power infrastructure, particularly as the fourth winter of the all-out invasion approaches.
The city of Shostka, located approximately 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the Russian border northeast of Kyiv, bore the brunt of this devastating attack. President Zelenskyy confirmed that at least 30 individuals sustained injuries, with emergency services swiftly deployed to provide aid and gather further information on the casualties.
Heartbreakingly, three children were among those hospitalized, as reported by Oleksandr Pertsovsky, head of Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s national rail operator. A cashier employed by the company also received hospital treatment.
Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Reconstruction Minister, detailed that Russia launched successive strikes on two passenger trains: first a local service, followed by one en route to Kyiv. He noted that an air raid alert was active during the ongoing rescue efforts, with medical teams diligently transporting the injured to hospitals while others sought refuge in shelters supervised by rescuers.
Both President Zelenskyy and local Governor Oleh Hryhorov shared harrowing photos from the scene, depicting a passenger carriage engulfed in flames.
Over the past two months, Moscow has conspicuously ramped up its aerial assaults on Ukraine’s railway network, recognizing its vital role in military logistics. These attacks have been an almost daily occurrence. Echoing previous years of the conflict, which began on February 24, 2022, the Kremlin is also escalating its attacks on Ukraine’s power grid. Kyiv views these actions as a deliberate attempt to weaponize the impending winter, aiming to deprive civilians of essential heat, light, and running water.
Just the night before this railway station strike, Russian drones and missiles had already hammered Ukraine’s power grid. This came a day after what officials termed the largest attack on Ukrainian natural gas facilities since the full-scale invasion commenced over three and a half years ago, highlighting a disturbing pattern of targeting civilian infrastructure.