Russian glide bomb strikes Kramatorsk buses killing at least 30 civilians; US pushes Ukraine-Russia talks same day but fails to curb frontline violence

Russian glide bomb hits two city buses, killing at least 30

According to Al Jazeera, Russian forces on Thursday used a glide bomb to attack two city buses in operation on the streets of Kramatorsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, killing at least 30 people and injuring 18. Photos released by the local prosecutor's office showed burnt metal shells of the buses with body remains and debris scattered on the road.

Ukrainian President Zelensky posted on Telegram that the strike hit a bus stop and vowed to retaliate: "This attack will certainly be avenged. Russia is trying to destroy everything alive in Donbas, and the world must... respond forcefully."

Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin similarly pointed the finger at Russia on Telegram: "For Russians, a bus with passengers is an ideal target — one strike can kill as many people as possible." The Kramatorsk city council stated that the attack site "absolutely had no military targets" and was "yet another horrific crime committed by Russian forces against civilians."

Russia did not immediately comment on the attack. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians, but has continued large-scale airstrikes on Ukrainian cities, towns and other targets. Al Jazeera noted that Kramatorsk is one of the key cities in the Donetsk region that Russian forces have so far failed to capture, long used by Ukraine as a logistics supply hub and lying within the so-called "fortress belt"; Russian forces have approached the city's eastern outskirts, and remaining civilians in the city have been urged to relocate to safer areas.

Al Jazeera correspondent Audrey McAlpine reporting from Kyiv noted that glide bombs "do not have the precision of ballistic missiles, nor the first-person-view precision of drones," so it remains unclear whether the buses were deliberately targeted or simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time." But she added that this was one of the largest and deadliest airstrikes in recent months, and that "the frontline city of Kramatorsk is becoming increasingly dangerous."

Later that afternoon, the city was hit again by a drone attack, killing 2 more people; Russian forces also killed 3 people in the Birenke settlement adjacent to Kramatorsk.

Continued strikes on civilian infrastructure: Chernihiv and Kyiv hit the same day

The previous day, a Russian missile struck a residential building in Pryluky in Ukraine's northern Chernihiv Oblast. According to Al Jazeera, Zelensky said a cruise missile directly hit this residential building located about 150 km east of Kyiv; Governor Vyacheslav Chaus announced on Telegram that the death toll had risen to 22, including 5 children.

In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a four-story residential building in the Solomiansky district caught fire after being hit by a drone attack, and rescuers had found 2 people dead; he said that "enemy attacks" that day had cumulatively killed 4 and injured 19. Klitschko criticized the strikes for hitting key traffic bridges, rail networks and energy grids, saying they "are tearing Kyiv apart."

US mediation restarts amid ongoing bombardment

As the attacks occurred, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday characterized the Russia-Ukraine war as a "dangerous stalemate" and warned that escalation could spill over into sabotage operations against NATO member states. According to Al Jazeera, Rubio told reporters during a visit to Portugal: "We want to see this war end with a permanent, lasting and just negotiated solution. This is exactly what we have committed to continue pushing for."

Rubio also noted that escalation "could turn into sabotage operations against neighboring countries — NATO members," and that other developments "could quickly turn a war between two countries into a broader, more dangerous regional conflict." He added: "This war needs to end with a negotiated solution. The sooner the better. The US is ready to facilitate this at any time. We have tried and will continue to try. But if progress cannot be made, we will not invest in a meaningless process."

Rubio made these remarks as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were preparing to meet with a Ukrainian delegation in Miami on Friday, attempting to restart negotiations to end the war. The two had visited Moscow and Kyiv in succession last month. Zelensky confirmed the two-day talks and revealed that the Ukrainian delegation would include his Chief of Staff Kyrylo Budanov, Foreign Intelligence Service Director Rustem Umerov, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Office Sergiy Kyslytsya, and parliamentary faction leader David Arakhamia. Zelensky also said a European team is expected to join the Ukrainian negotiation lineup.

Al Jazeera noted that previous rounds of trilateral talks have produced no substantive peace progress. The Kremlin previously said trilateral talks involving the US could be held in October; Zelensky said last week that Washington hopes to facilitate a new round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations by the end of October.

Ukraine's strikes on Russian deep targets

Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued to ramp up drone strikes on deep Russian targets. According to Al Jazeera, Russia's largest tech company Yandex told AFP that one of its data centers in Ryazan Oblast (southeast of Moscow) in central Russia caught fire Thursday due to a drone attack. Unverified images on social media showed thick black smoke rising from the roof of the building. Yandex, known externally as "Russia's Google," operates the most popular search engine in the Russian-speaking world as well as food delivery and ride-hailing apps, covering hundreds of millions of users in Russian-speaking regions.

Former head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation Andriy Kovalchuk posted on Telegram that Kyiv carried out the attack, writing "this is a game both sides can play."

Ukraine also claimed to have struck a large refinery complex in Salavat, about 1,200 km east of Moscow. Ukraine's General Staff said the facility is one of Russia's largest refining and petrochemical bases. Omsk Oblast Governor Vitaly Khotsenko said Kyiv attacked an industrial zone in the oblast; Omsk Oblast is in Siberia and has a refinery operated by Gazprom Neft. Moscow Oblast Governor Andrey Vorobyov said a residential building and three cars were damaged in a drone attack in the oblast, killing one man and injuring one woman.

Al Jazeera noted that in recent months, Russia and Ukraine have been increasing long-range strikes against each other, with Russia's recent attacks also targeting Ukrainian data centers and logistics warehouses.