Over 30 evacuees killed, scores injured in Russian rocket strike on Ukrainian station

Ukraine said two Russian rockets hit a railway station in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, as per a Reuters report. Donetsk governor, citing police and rescue workers, said that dozens are feared killed or wounded in a rocket strike on Kramatorsk railway station in east Ukraine.

More than 30 people were killed and over 100 were wounded in a Russian rocket strike in east Ukraine on Friday as civilians tried to evacuate to safer parts of the country, the state railway company said.

Ukraine said two Russian rockets hit a railway station in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, as per a Reuters report. Donetsk governor, citing police and rescue workers, said that dozens are feared killed or wounded in a rocket strike on Kramatorsk railway station in east Ukraine.

Reuters could not verify the information. Russia did not immediately comment on the reports of the attack and the casualty toll. Moscow has denied targeting civilians since invading Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Three trains carrying evacuees were blocked in the same region of Ukraine on Thursday after an air strike on the line, according to the head of Ukrainian Railways.

Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have been regrouping for a new offensive, and that Moscow plans to seize as much territory as it can in the eastern part of Ukraine known as Donbas bordering Russia.

Local authorities in some areas have been urging civilians to leave the while it is still possible and relatively safe to do so.

Meanwhile, Russia gave the most sombre assessment so far of its invasion of Ukraine, describing the “tragedy” of mounting troop losses and the economic hit from sanctions, as Ukrainians were evacuated from eastern cities before an anticipated major offensive.

Moscow says it is engaged in a “special military operation” designed to demilitarize and “denazify” Ukraine. Ukraine and Western governments reject that as a false pretext for Russia's invasion.