(KOSTIANTYNIVKA, DONETSK OBLAST) – At least 33 people were killed and 18 injured when Russian glide bombs struck two civilian buses in the frontline city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Ukrainian Member of Parliament Yulia Sirko described the attack as “clear hunting of people” by Russian military forces. “This is barbarian and this is clear genocidal action from the Russian army,” she told Times Radio. “Putin ordered his army to do whatever they want to do, including massive war crimes against civilians, kids, women, and cities, residential buildings.”
The attack occurred in the Donbas region, which Sirko described as a heavily fortified area that has been keeping Russian forces out of unoccupied Ukrainian territories. “If we do any kind of concessions or any kind of deal with Putin, then he will use this territory to go further to other regions, which is actually open gates to the three Ukrainian regions,” she said. “We will not do any concessions because you see even now what Putin is doing. He is killing Ukrainians purposely on these territories.”
Sirko warned that if Russia gains full control of the region, it will result in the destruction of Ukrainian life there. “Can you imagine when he will have 100 percent of power there or occupy this territory, he will just kill all people, all Ukrainians on these territories and will burn this land,” she said. “He is a barbarian leader. It is a barbarian country.”
The strike comes amid continued Russian attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. At least 22 people, including five children, were killed in a Russian strike on a residential building in a small town approximately 100 kilometres from Kyiv. Sirko noted that there were no military targets near the sites of the glide bomb attacks.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband visited Ukraine and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaking from the site of a residential building in northern Ukraine where 22 were killed, Miliband said: “Putin once said that he was going to win on the battlefield. He is trying to win by terrorising civilians. I do not believe he will succeed. I do not believe you will win because of the courage of your people and because I am here to say on behalf of the government of the United Kingdom, we will be with you as long as it takes for you to prevail in this conflict.”
Ukrainian forces have reportedly recaptured approximately 150 square kilometres of Russian-occupied territory in recent weeks. Sirko said this battlefield pressure has prompted Russia to escalate attacks on civilians. “That is why Putin decided to terrorise and to freeze civilians this winter. We expect that we will unfortunately see more and more of these war crimes during the winter and autumn time,” she said.
The attacks occurred as UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin to discuss defence cooperation, hybrid warfare, and support for Ukraine. The two leaders agreed to work closely together in fighting Russia’s hybrid war operations, including cyber attacks and sabotage.
Oliver Wright, policy editor at The Times, said the meeting included discussions about Germany potentially joining the Tempest joint fighter plane programme with the UK, Italy, and Japan. Germany had been due to develop a rival plane with France, but that project collapsed.
Burnham is also seeking German support for UK car manufacturers to receive the same tax breaks as other European manufacturers under the proposed Made in Europe scheme, which is likely to be discussed at a UK-EU summit later in the year.
Simon Fraser, former head of the Foreign Office, said the Russian threat is mounting while the Trump administration appears to be stepping back from commitments to Europe. “Vladimir Putin is now so much more aggressive,” he said. Fraser noted that both Germany and the UK have been exposed to hybrid attacks from Russia and potentially from countries like Iran. The two countries signed the Kensington Agreement to develop defence and security cooperation.
Fraser said Burnham is seeking to build relationships with major European member states ahead of the November summit. “Both the French and the Spanish have indicated recently that they would be open to the UK rejoining the EU, and I am sure Germany would as well,” he said. “But there is a very long road to travel to turn the aspiration into reality.”
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