Ukraine-Russia war latest: Deadly Moscow strike on passenger train labelled ‘an act of terrorism’ by Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of an “act of terrorism” after an attack on a Ukrainian passenger train killed at least five people.

“In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be regarded in the same way – purely as an act of terrorism,” Zelensky said.

The war-time president said there was no “military justification” in Russia’s targeting civilians. He added that there were 18 people in the carriage that was hit and over 200 on the train in total.

The attack was in contrast to US president Donald Trump’s remarks just a few hours earlier when he said “very good things” were happening in efforts to bring peace to Ukraine, as US-brokered peace talks are set to continue this Sunday.

His comments follow trilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi over the weekend, which Zelensky said were “constructive”.

A source familiar with internal discussions told Reuters on Tuesday that the US has told Ukraine that it must sign on to a peace deal with Russia if it wants to get US security guarantees.

Nearly two million casualties from Ukraine-Russia warRussia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused 2 million military casualties, including people killed, wounded, or missing, according to a study by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies published on Tuesday.

Russia has borne the brunt of losses with an estimated 325,000 people killed out of a total of 1.2 million casualties on its side. Ukraine’s 500,000 to 600,000 casualties included between 100,000 and 140,000 dead.

“Combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties may be as high as 1.8 million and could reach two million total casualties by the spring of 2026,” said the US-based think tank.

(REUTERS)Maira Butt28 January 2026 08:45

Ukraine will not accept ‘meaningless’ security guarantees“Meaningless” security guarantees will not be accepted by Ukraine, a top Ukrainian official has said as trilateral peace talks are set to continue this weekend.

“Unsurprisingly, after all of these experiences, Ukrainians have become extremely wary of any discussion on security guarantees. They are not going to accept another meaningless offer, no matter how nicely it is packaged under the label ‘security guarantees’,” Ukraine’s ambassador to Nato Alyona Getmanchuk wrote in the Telegraph.

“Ukrainians have no illusions that any potential break in the war in the form of a ceasefire with [Vladimir] Putin would ultimately lead to peace rather than a new round of aggression,” she continued.

“That’s why this time – unlike in 2015, when the Minsk deal on Donbas was reached and Normandy format talks were launched – security guarantees are still seen by Ukrainians as an integral part for any peace settlement, not the result of it.”

Maira Butt28 January 2026 08:20

Zelensky condemns Russian drone strike on passenger trainPresident Volodymyr Zelensky condemned a Russian drone attack on a passenger train that has killed at least five people so far.

“Today, Russia struck a passenger train in the Kharkiv region with attack drones,” he wrote in a post on X/Twitter.

“In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be regarded in the same way – purely as an act of terrorism. There would be no doubt about the classification, neither in Europe, nor in America, nor in the Arab world, nor in China, nor anywhere else.

“There is, and can be, no military justification for killing civilians in a train carriage. In particular, over 200 people were on the train, and 18 were in the carriage hit by one of the Russian drones.”

He said the country must be “held accountable for what it is doing”.

“The Russians have significantly increased their capacity to kill, their capacity to terrorise.”

Maira Butt28 January 2026 07:52

Russia accused of ‘terrorism’ as five killed in attack on Ukraine trainA Russian drone strike has killed five people aboard a passenger train in northeastern Ukraine, prosecutors confirmed on Tuesday, an attack President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned as an act of terrorism.

The assault, which set the train on fire, occurred just hours after a separate barrage of Russian drones targeted the southern city of Odesa overnight, killing three and injuring 25. These incidents underscore Moscow’s escalating campaign of strikes, seemingly aimed at compelling Kyiv to cease hostilities.

Meanwhile, the capital Kyiv continues to grapple with the aftermath of last week’s attacks, with Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal reporting that 710,000 residents remain without power. This ongoing targeting of energy infrastructure forms part of Russia’s winter offensive, even as Ukraine faces international pressure to agree to a US-backed peace deal to end the nearly four-year conflict.

Maira Butt28 January 2026 07:30

Russia and India to hold joint naval drills next month – reportRussia and India will hold joint naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean in February, officials in Russia’s maritime college press service said.

The press service statement, cited by TASS news agency, said a frigate of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet would leave the port of Muscat in Oman to take part in the Milan-2026 exercises, and then make an unofficial visit to the Indian port of Vishakhapatnam from 18 February to 25 February.

Arpan Rai28 January 2026 07:02

Ukraine says Lukashenko must be held accountable for ‘complicity’ in warBelarus should be held accountable for its role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said, announcing sanctions against the neighbouring country’s president Alexander Lukashenko.

“The Lukashenko regime, and (Lukashenko) himself, must bear responsibility for their complicity in Russian aggression,” Sybiha told news outlet European Pravda.

Sybiha said he shares the view of much of the West that Lukashenko has rigged elections to remain in power.

“This is the so-called president. Ukraine, like other European countries, does not consider him the legitimately elected president of Belarus,” he said.

Sybiha said Lukashenko’s Belarusian regime is responsible for providing territory for attacks on Ukraine.

“This makes them complicit in the aggression against Ukraine. And now we see new elements of support for Russian aggression from the Lukashenko regime. They are providing their infrastructure for drone attacks on Ukrainian territory,” he said.

Arpan Rai28 January 2026 06:40

In photos: Putin’s deadly strike on passenger train kills five in Kharkiv

Firefighters put out the fire after Russian drones hit a passenger train in the Kharkiv region (AP)

Train compartments seen on fire as firefighters work to extinguish the blaze after Russian drones hit a passenger train in the Kharkiv region (AP)

A burning train carriage following an air attack at an undisclosed location in the Kharkiv region (Ukrainian emergency service/ AFP)

Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish a fire in a train carriage following an air attack at an undisclosed location in the Kharkiv region (Ukrainian emergency service/ AFP)Arpan Rai28 January 2026 06:08

I was caught in a Russian attack last night – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality as talks grind onIn the early hours of Tuesday morning I was at the receiving end of one of the deadly Russian mass drone attacks that regularly terrorise Ukrainian cities.

Much of my hotel near the centre of the Black Sea port city of Odesa was wrecked when Shahed drones hit close by, setting buildings opposite ablaze and blowing out walls, shattering windows and collapsing ceilings where I was staying.

I had slept through the sirens warning of an approaching attack and was wrenched out of my slumber by the first enormous explosion, which blew out windows in my room in the Hotel Alarus at around 2.20am.

Askold Krushelnycky was asleep in Odesa when Shahed drones partially destroyed his hotel, illustrating how Russia’s relentless attacks on Ukraine continue during one of the country’s harshest winters:

Arpan Rai28 January 2026 05:46

Watch: Carriages burn following deadly Russian drone attack on Ukraine passenger trainCarriages burn following deadly Russian drone attack on Ukraine passenger trainArpan Rai28 January 2026 05:20

Russia’s war sees nearly 2 million military casualties so far – reportThe Russian invasion of Ukraine has left nearly two million military personnel killed, wounded, or missing, a US think tank’s latest study shows.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies says the war has resulted in about 1.2 million Russian casualties and between 500,000 and 600,000 Ukrainian casualties.

In a new report published yesterday, the think tank said Russian forces have suffered as many as 325,000 killed since the war began nearly four years ago, accounting for the majority of the losses.

Russia is the first major power in the world to have seen this scale of casualties or fatalities since the Second World War.

Russian forces have continued to advance “remarkably slowly on the battlefield” despite the scale of the losses, it said.

Arpan Rai28 January 2026 05:01