Two women killed and five injured after Russian drone strikes commuter train at Limanovka station in Kharkiv region

A Russian unmanned aerial vehicle struck a commuter train that had been halted at Limanovka station on the Lozova–Kharkiv route, killing two women and injuring five others, Ukrainian officials said. The attack occurred after authorities stopped the train in anticipation of drone attacks and evacuated most passengers, according to the minister overseeing infrastructure and post-war restoration.

Nikolai Kalashnik, described in the report as Ukraine's minister for restoration, infrastructure and transport, said the train had been stopped in advance because of threats from drones and that all passengers were evacuated. He added that while "Большинство вместе с бригадой поезда находились на безопасном расстоянии от железнодорожной инфраструктуры, однако часть людей осталась рядом с поездом". Officials said the strike nonetheless reached people who remained close to the train.

Kharkiv Regional Governor Oleg Sinegubov reported that two women were killed in the strike and five people received blast injuries. He provided additional detail about one of the victims: "11-летняя девочка – дочь одной из погибших – находится в тяжелом состоянии с ожогами, ею занимаются наши врачи." Medical teams are attending to the severely burned child, according to Sinegubov.

The incident in Limanovka is one of several attacks in the Kharkiv region attributed to Russian "Шахед" drones on the same day. In the night of 23 August, regional authorities reported that multiple "Шахед" drones struck areas of Kharkiv, including a private-sector neighborhood in the Osnovyansky district, where eight people were injured. Among those wounded in that attack was a 15-year-old, officials said, citing the governor and the State Emergency Service (ГСЧС).

Officials also reported that a "Шахед" struck the locomotive of passenger train No.147 "Житомир — Одесса", which was carrying 593 passengers, including 15 children. There were no reported casualties from that strike, but the train had to be stopped on the line as an emergency precaution while authorities assessed damage and passenger safety.

The strikes underscore the vulnerability of civilian transport and residential areas to unmanned aerial attacks. Ukrainian authorities halted the commuter train after detecting a drone threat in order to evacuate passengers and minimize casualties; however, the fact that some people remained close to the train when the drone struck led to fatalities and severe injuries. The incidents prompted emergency response operations by regional authorities and medical personnel.

Local officials have provided initial casualty figures and said medical teams are treating the wounded. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the circumstances of each strike beyond statements from Ukrainian officials included in the report. The attacks add to a pattern of drone strikes reported in the region in recent weeks, raising concerns about the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure during the ongoing conflict.

Authorities in Kharkiv Oblast are continuing rescue and medical efforts in the affected areas and investigating the incidents. State services and regional officials are expected to provide further updates as emergency responses proceed and as hospitals report on the condition of the injured.