Kramatorsk: 35 killed in two attacks after buses are hit
Reuters reported a total of 35 people killed in the city after two buses were struck and a later drone attack. The UN said at least 30 civilians were killed in the bus strike.
At least 35 people were killed in Kramatorsk on Thursday 8 October, according to the combined toll Reuters reported from local authorities. The first attack struck two buses, while authorities later announced two more deaths in a new drone attack on the city.
The UN Human Rights Office said the strike on the two public buses killed at least 30 civilians, citing local authorities. Reuters also reported 20 people wounded in the Kramatorsk strike.
What is confirmed and what is attributed to authorities
The casualty figures come from Ukrainian local authorities, whose public statements were confirmed as such by Reuters and the UN. They are not yet an independently established final count of every casualty at the scene.
Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin said a Russian guided aerial bomb was used and accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians. That allegation is explicitly attributed to him. Moscow denies targeting civilians.
Zelenskyy says 78 were killed in two days
In a separate official statement, the Ukrainian presidency said Volodymyr Zelenskyy told European Council President António Costa that 78 people had been killed and 215 wounded in strikes on Pryluky, Kramatorsk, Kyiv and other cities over two days.
This combined number is a toll announced by the Ukrainian side. Reuters confirmed that Zelenskyy announced it but did not present its own complete independent count for every location.
Parallel attacks
In Pryluky, 22 people were killed when a residential building was struck, according to authorities cited by Reuters. In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced four deaths and 19 injuries, along with disruptions to electricity and water supplies.
The escalation is being recorded as a series of attacks on populated areas and infrastructure. The figures may be revised as identification work and investigations at the strike sites continue.
US talks focused on air defence
On the diplomatic track, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a Ukrainian delegation would hold talks in the United States on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October. He also said he expected European partners to take part and that Ukrainian air defence would be a central issue.
The Ukrainian president accused Washington of being unwilling to provide more help and requested expanded access to the Starlink service for operations against Russian launchers. This is a public political position and a request from Kyiv; the United States has not announced a decision granting that access.
Marco Rubio's different assessment
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the war as a “dangerous stalemate” and said the United States would keep pursuing a permanent, fair and negotiated settlement, while declining to invest in processes that make no progress.
Rubio also warned that escalation could widen the conflict, including through acts of sabotage in NATO countries. This was a risk warning, not confirmation that such a campaign is already under way.
Update, 9 October 2026, 03:57 Athens time — What changed: the Ukraine-US talks, the request for stronger air defence support and the contrasting public assessments from Zelenskyy and Rubio were added.
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