Ukraine: 30 killed in Russian air raid on Kramatorsk; two buses hit. Rubio: ‘We are concerned that the conflict may spread’

Bombs continue to rain down on Ukrainian territory. The latest civilian casualties are 30 passengers on two buses, struck by a Russian air raid in Kramatorsk, in the Donetsk region. In addition to the fatalities, according to local authorities, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda, there are also said to be 18 injured. The public prosecutor’s office has stated that the ‘two public buses were at the epicentre of the attack’.

The capital, too, remains a target of Moscow’s attacks. In Kyiv, a Russian drone struck a shop, killing two people, bringing the death toll in the city this morning to three. “Air defence forces are operational in the capital. Stay in safe places!”, said Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, adding: “The bodies of two people who died have been found, whilst two others have been injured”.

‘We now find ourselves in a strategic stalemate.’ With these words, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the developments in the conflict in Ukraine, which in recent months have seen a resumption of US diplomatic efforts. “Strategic stalemates are resolved either through negotiation or through escalation by one or both sides, which ultimately spreads beyond the boundaries of the original conflict. We share the concern that the conflict could intensify to the point of involving other countries and perhaps escalating into a wider conflict,” added Rubio. “We are concerned about the possibility of a sabotage operation in a neighbouring country, which could spiral out of control.”