Lokomotiv footballers were on the train attacked by a UAV near Voronezh

Attack on a passenger train

A passenger train traveling from Rostov-on-Don to Moscow was attacked by a Ukrainian UAV near Voronezh. According to the Telegram channel “Mash na sporte”, Lokomotiv footballers were on board, returning to the capital after a match. The channel claims that the club’s players were not injured, while, according to its information, five people were hurt, one of whom is in serious condition. The team is currently making its way to Moscow by bus. Gazeta.Ru cites the channel for this information.

Consequences and casualties

According to preliminary data, the Ukrainian drone struck the train deliberately; four carriages were damaged. Compliance with passengers’ rights has been taken under oversight by the Moscow Transport Prosecutor’s Office. The head of the region said that as a result of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ attack two people were killed and 17 more were injured, including one child among the victims. It should be noted that the casualty figures differ between reports: the channel “Mash na sporte” spoke of five injured, while the head of the region said 17 were wounded; the final figures remain unconfirmed by a single source.

The night’s circumstances

On the morning of October 26, it was reported that sounds resembling explosions woke residents of the city. According to the local portal Voronezh1.ru, a missile danger alert was declared in the region at 05:44 Moscow time, and six minutes later the explosions came one after another. Residents reported that, in addition to the explosions, they heard the sounds of drones flying overhead, and their homes shook from the impacts. Some residents also claimed that shelters in their buildings were inaccessible at the time of the attack.

Context

Earlier, as noted in reports, a city in Belgorod Region was attacked three times in one day by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The editorial team notes that some details remain unclear in the available materials: it has not been confirmed by independent sources whether the strike on the train was deliberate, and the exact circumstances of the deaths have not been named. The information about the injured footballers so far comes only from the Telegram channel “Mash na sporte” and has not been confirmed by official statements from the club in the cited reports.

Why this matters

The attack on a passenger train affects the thousands of passengers who use rail service between the southern regions and Moscow, and raises the question of civilian transport safety. The prosecutor’s office has in practice already begun checking the rights of the affected passengers, while the Lokomotiv team has had to change its return route, reaching the capital by bus. Until official data is clarified, the exact number of victims and the circumstances of the strike remain unknown.