site.btaRussian Attack on Passenger Train in Odesa Region Kills Two

A train with 340 passengers, including 67 children and train crew, was attacked in the Odesa region on Thursday morning, Odesa Regional Military Administration Head Oleh Kiper reported on his Telegram channel.

The locomotive was hit, killing the driver and his assistant, Kiper added. None of the train's passengers were injured.

The regional governor extended condolences to the bereaved families.

He noted that, under the coordination of the Odesa Regional Military Administration and thanks to the joint efforts of all services, the passengers were promptly evacuated from the site of the attack. Twelve buses transported them to a safe location in Odesa. Ambulances also took part in the passenger evacuation operation, Kiper said.

Bulgarians in the Odesa region number over 150,000 and were the third largest population group in Ukraine in 2001, according to the official census. About 50,000 - 60,000 Bulgarians live in the city of Odesa itself. The largest compact Bulgarian population is concentrated in the Bolhrad, Izmail and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi districts.