Russian bomb hits two passenger buses in Kramatorsk, killing at least 33

A Russian strike hit two passenger buses in Kramatorsk, in Ukraine's Donetsk region, at about 10am on Thursday, killing at least 33 people and injuring 18, Ukrainian authorities said, according to La Stampa and Meduza. The buses were carrying passengers when the bomb struck, near a dental clinic on Yuvileina Street, The Guardian reported. A second bus caught fire.

The toll rose sharply through the day. Donetsk regional prosecutors first reported 12 dead and 14 injured, then raised the figure to 30 dead and 18 injured. Later reports from Ukrainian authorities put the number of dead at 33. President Volodymyr Zelensky said some victims could not immediately be identified because of the severity of their injuries, and that the toll could rise further as doctors fought to save the wounded.

Russian forces probably used a guided aerial bomb, the prosecutor's office said, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Three more people were killed by shelling in the village of Bilenke, outside Kramatorsk, officials told The Guardian.

Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin suspended public transport in Kramatorsk and neighbouring Sloviansk because of the sharp deterioration in security. He said Russia was deliberately targeting civilians and chose a bus full of passengers to kill as many people as possible.

Zelensky said the Kremlin had deliberately hit an ordinary public transport stop. "This strike will not go unanswered," he said, calling for a forceful response from the world. The European Commission said those who carried out the attack and their accomplices must answer for it, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Russia also struck Kyiv on Thursday. Three people were killed there, Libération reported, while El Mundo put the number at four. Zelensky urged Western allies to send more air defence, including anti-ballistic systems and interceptors, saying talks with partners would take place on Thursday and Friday.

British foreign secretary Ed Miliband, who was in Ukraine with Zelensky, said this week's attacks showed that Putin was trying to win by terrorising civilians, The Guardian reported.