Russian forces attack refugee evacuation train in Ukraine

GBnews24desk//

A passenger train on its way to pick up refugees being evacuated from eastern Ukraine came under fire from Russian forces, killing a conductor, Ukraine’s national rail company says.

The conductor was killed and another employee was taken to hospital with injuries when the train was attacked near Brusyn station in the Donetsk region, BBC reports.

What damage the sides claim to have inflicted

Russia’s defence ministry says its forces have destroyed 3,687 Ukrainian military facilities since the start of its attack on the country, as well as 99 aircraft, 1,194 tanks and armoured combat vehicles, and 443 field artillery guns, Russian news agency Interfax reports.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military says it has killed more than 12,000 Russian troops as well as 374 tanks, 1,226 armoured combat machines and 140 artillery systems.

The BBC has not been able to verify either of the sides’ claims.

The train was about to pick up residents being evacuated from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions at Lyman station, including 100 children.

The company says it is “making every effort” to evacuate all the train’s passengers and crew, as well as the evacuees at the station.