Russian strike on buses kills 33, say officials, as deadly attacks on Ukraine surge

Key Points:

• Thirty-three people were killed and 18 wounded in a Russian glide bomb attack on two civilian buses in Kramatorsk, a frontline city in Ukraine's Donbas region, according to rescue officials and Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin.
• The attack is part of intensified Russian efforts to seize the Donbas industrial region, with Kramatorsk and neighboring Slovyansk under near-daily assault as Russia aims to capture the remaining Ukrainian-held territory in Donetsk.
• Civilian casualties in Ukraine have surged sharply, with the UN reporting more deaths by August 2023 than in all of 2022, including a recent deadly strike on a residential building in Pryluky that killed 22 people, including young children.
• Kyiv authorities have halted public transport in the Donetsk region due to security concerns, and local infrastructure, including power and water supplies, is increasingly disrupted by Russian attacks.
• Ukrainian President Zelensky condemned the attacks, called for increased international defense support, and warned of an impending major Russian offensive, prompting civilians to seek shelter amid ongoing long-range strikes between both sides.