14 killed at Dnipro station: Ukrzaliznytsia says evacuation was announced, but passengers stayed near the train

On 29 October, a Russian jet-powered drone hit the platform of the railway station in Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine. A Dnipro–Zaporizhzhia train was standing beside it. The strike killed 14 people and wounded another 14. Six of the injured are in serious condition, including an 11-year-old boy. The state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said it is conducting a second-by-second investigation of the incident.

What the railway says

The company states that an air-raid alert had been issued in advance. As the jet drone approached, its monitoring team additionally identified a heightened danger. An evacuation was announced on the electric train due to depart for Zaporizhzhia, with more than 10 minutes left before the strike, according to the company. Voice announcements were played, and the assistant driver walked through every carriage, following protocol. Each carriage has a poster, and the announcements say passengers must not only leave the train but get off the platform as quickly as possible and move at least 200 metres away. The train crew evacuated in good time. Evacuation announcements were also repeated several times at the station, saying that departures would resume after the alert ended and that everyone should stay in shelters.

The company acknowledges that, despite this, many people were right next to the train when the strike came, which explains the high number of dead and wounded.

The attack

According to the Air Force, around 11:00 Russia launched four jet-powered strike drones toward the Dnipropetrovsk region. Air defence destroyed three, and one hit the platform of Dnipro's railway station.

Ukrzaliznytsia said it will review all its protocols again to determine how to speed up reaction time or ensure everyone moves to safety. The company says stations, platforms and trains across the country are priority targets for the enemy, and urges passengers to follow railway staff instructions.