The deadly attack took place in Chaplyne, a town of about 3,500 people in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrainian news agencies said, citing Zelenskyy, in a video message to the UN Security Council. The president’s office also said an 11-year-old child was killed by rockets in another area of the region. Ukraine had braced for particularly heavy attacks around the national holiday commemorating Ukraine’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Wednesday also marked the six-month anniversary of the war. Ahead of the holiday, authorities in Kiev banned large gatherings in the capital until Thursday due to fears of rocket attacks. Residents of the capital, which has been largely spared in recent months, woke up Wednesday to air raid sirens, but no immediate strikes followed. As the day wore on, Russian shelling was reported in the eastern, western and central regions of the country, with the most serious attack apparently on the railway station. Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson marked the holiday with a visit to Kyiv – his third since the war broke out – and other European leaders used the occasion to pledge unwavering support for Ukraine, locked in a battle widely expected to be a lightning conquest by Moscow, but it has turned into a terrifying war of attrition. The US has announced a major new military aid package totaling nearly $3 billion to help Ukrainian forces fight for years to come. “Russian provocations and brutal strikes are a possibility,” Zelensky said in a statement before the train attack was reported. “Please strictly follow the safety rules. Please observe the curfew. Beware of air sirens.” Over the weekend, Zelensky also warned that Russia “might try to do something particularly bad, something particularly cruel” this week. However, a festive atmosphere prevailed during the day in Kyiv’s Maidan Square, as thousands of residents posed for photos next to burnt-out Russian tanks on display. Folk singers set up and many revelers—ignoring the sirens—walked around in traditional embroidered dresses and shirts. Others were scared. “I can’t sleep at night because of what I’m seeing and hearing about what’s happening in Ukraine,” said a pensioner who gave only her first name, Tetiana, her voice shaking with emotion. “This is not war. It is the destruction of the Ukrainian people.” In a celebratory message to the country, Zelensky expressed joy at Ukraine’s success in repelling Moscow’s forces after the invasion, saying: “On February 24, we were told: You have no chance. On August 24, we say: Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!’ Zelensky also addressed the UN Security Council over Russia’s objections, saying the “security of the whole world” was at stake in Ukraine’s fight against Moscow’s “crazy aggression”. US President Joe Biden said the latest US aid package would allow Ukraine to acquire air defense and artillery systems and other weapons. “I know this Independence Day is bittersweet for many Ukrainians as thousands have been killed or injured, millions have been displaced from their homes, and so many more have fallen victim to Russian atrocities and attacks,” Biden said. “But six months of relentless attacks have only strengthened Ukrainians’ pride in themselves, their country and their 31 years of independence.” Britain’s Johnson has urged Western allies to stand by Ukraine over the winter. “This is not the time to make flimsy negotiating proposals,” he said. “You can’t negotiate with a bear when it’s eating your leg or a street robber when he’s got you pinned to the floor.” In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz scolded the Kremlin for its “regressive imperialism” and said Ukraine “will chase away the dark shadow of war because it is strong and brave, because it has friends in Europe and around the world.” A car bomb explosion outside Moscow that killed the 29-year-old daughter of right-wing Russian political theorist Alexander Dugin on Saturday also fueled fears that Russia may step up attacks in Ukraine this week. Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for the death of Daria Dugina, a pro-Kremlin television commentator. Ukraine has denied any involvement. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces encountered unexpectedly stiff Ukrainian resistance to their invasion and abandoned their attempt to storm the capital in the spring. The fighting has turned into an uproar that has reduced neighborhoods to rubble and sent shockwaves through the global economy. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, speaking on Wednesday at a meeting of his counterparts from a security organization dominated by Russia and China, argued that Moscow’s slow pace of military action was due to what he said was an effort to save civilians. Russian forces have repeatedly targeted civilian areas in cities, including hospitals and a theater in Mariupol, where hundreds of people were sheltering. But Shoigu said Russia was carrying out strikes with precision weapons against Ukrainian military targets and “everything is being done to avoid civilian casualties.” “No doubt, it slows down the tempo of the attack, but we do that on purpose,” he said. He also criticized the US and its allies for “continuing to pump weapons into Ukraine”, saying the aid was dragging out the conflict and increasing casualties. On the battlefield, Russian forces hit several towns and villages in eastern Donetsk province in 24 hours, killing one person, authorities said. A superstore of building materials in the city of Donetsk was hit by a shell and engulfed in flames, the mayor said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russians again shelled the towns of Nikopol and Marhanets, damaging several buildings and injuring people, authorities said. Russian troops also shelled the city of Zaporizhzhia, but no casualties were reported. In addition, Russian missiles hit unspecified targets in the Khmelnytskyi region, about 300 kilometers (180 miles) west of Kiev, the regional governor said. Attacks there were rare.
Varenytsia reported from Pokrovsk, Ukraine. Associated Press writers Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv and Lolita C. Baldor and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
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