Massacre in Kramatorsk: 30 dead in Russian attack on two buses

A Russian attack killed at least 30 people in Kramatorsk, a frontline Ukrainian city, after hitting two buses. This is one of the deadliest incidents in recent weeks. Ukrainian authorities accuse Moscow of deliberately targeting civilians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly accused the United States of being reluctant to help Ukraine, bringing the death toll of the past two days to over 70. He also confirmed that a Ukrainian delegation will travel to the U.S. for talks with President Trump's envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.

The talks, which will also include European representatives, will take place in Miami on Friday and Saturday to discuss "new ideas" to end the war. The attack comes one day after a Russian missile killed 22 people, including five children, in an apartment building in Pryluky.

The war in Ukraine, which began with the Russian invasion in February 2022, has now been ongoing for nearly five years. The conflict has created a military stalemate that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as "very dangerous," expressing fears of escalation. Kramatorsk, with a pre-war population of around 150,000, is a crucial logistics hub for the Ukrainian army and part of the so-called "fortress belt" defended by Ukrainian troops.

Negotiations to end the conflict have been intermittent. The outbreak of the war led to Western sanctions against Russia and massive military aid to Ukraine. However, Zelensky now laments that the U.S. is pursuing economic projects with Russia while attempting to mediate—a position he considers contradictory. The increase in long-range attacks by both sides has raised growing concerns about civilian casualties.

Potential consequences of this stalemate include a particularly harsh winter for Ukraine, with energy infrastructure already damaged and scheduled blackouts. The Miami talks represent a new attempt to break the deadlock, while Zelensky's accusations highlight tensions in the relationship with its main ally, the United States.