Two buses were blown up on the outskirts of Kramatorsk on Thursday, leaving 30 dead and dozens wounded, the blast tearing through the metal shell and scattering bodies across the road.
President Volodymyr Zelensky posted images of the wreckage on Telegram, declaring the attack "will not go unanswered" and calling it part of Russia's attempt to "destroy all life in Donbas".
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the stalemate was "very dangerous" and could trigger escalation, urging Washington to increase pressure on Moscow.
The incident follows a missile strike on a five‑story apartment block in Pryluky that killed 22, including five children, underscoring a surge in Russian attacks on civilian targets; UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned the wave of such attacks as "reprehensible".
Zelensky confirmed Ukrainian negotiators would travel to Washington on Friday and Saturday for talks with U.S. and European delegates, aiming to secure new proposals that could halt the war. The talks are slated to begin on Friday, 29 October, with expectations of a joint statement on the conflict's future.