Russian Strikes Kill 12 in Ukraine, Train Hit by Drone

Kyiv, Ukraine:

Russian forces killed at least 12 people in overnight attacks across Ukraine, hitting a passenger train, residential areas, and energy infrastructure, Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday.

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, a Russian drone struck a train carrying nearly 200 passengers. At least five people were killed when the drone hit a train carriage. Images shared by prosecutors showed the carriage burning, while emergency services later confirmed the fire was extinguished.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, saying there was no military reason to target civilians. He said such strikes are destroying peace efforts and urged allies to increase pressure on Moscow.

In the southern city of Odesa, more than 50 Russian drones killed three people and injured over 30 others. Among the wounded were a 39-week pregnant woman and two girls, officials said. Several residential buildings were damaged, and rescue teams searched through rubble for survivors.

In Sloviansk, a married couple aged 45 and 48 were killed in a strike, while their 20-year-old son survived. Other deaths were reported in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions due to drone and shelling attacks.

Russian strikes also caused major damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Private energy company DTEK said one of its facilities suffered severe damage in Odesa. State gas company Naftogaz reported another facility on fire, marking the fifth such attack this month. Millions of Ukrainians are facing power and heating outages during freezing temperatures.

Ukraine’s air force said 165 attack drones were launched overnight, and an infrastructure site in Lviv region was also hit.

Despite ongoing peace talks held in the United Arab Emirates, Zelensky said the bombardment shows Russia is undermining diplomacy. The next round of talks is expected on February 1.

Meanwhile, Russia claimed it captured two villages in the Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions, continuing its slow advance on the front line.