Bombing destroys train station in frontline Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka; Zelenskiy numbers troop deaths at 31,000 since full-scale war began
An attack on Sunday destroyed the train station, shops and homes in the town of Kostiantynivka near the frontline of Ukraine’s two-year-old war against Russia. Police said a guided aerial bomb hit the station and four S-300 missiles followed in the pre-dawn hours. Kostiantynivka lies 30km (18 miles) west of Bakhmut, which fell to Russian forces in May 2023, and north of Avdiivka, captured by the Russians last week.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has for the first time put a number on Ukrainian soldier deaths, saying 31,000 troops have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian president told a news conference in Kyiv that he could not disclose the number of wounded because it would help Russian military planning.
Ukraine’s defence minister, Rustem Umerov, said his country was “losing territory” in its grinding war with Russia because “50%” of weapons promised by western partners failed to arrive on time.
Russian forces would attempt another offensive in late May or summer, Zelenskiy said. “We will prepare for their assault. Their assault that began on 8 October has not brought any results, I think.” Ukraine had a “clear” plan for a new counteroffensive, Zelenskiy said, but he could not disclose details. Troop rotations were critically important for the war effort and Ukraine needed to better prepare its reserve forces, he said.
European leaders will gather in Paris on Monday to send Vladimir Putin a message of European resolve on Ukraine and, France has said, to counter the Kremlin’s narrative that Russia is bound to win. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has invited his European counterparts to the Élysée Palace for a working meeting at short notice because of what his advisers say is an escalation in Russian aggression.
Joe Biden plans to meet with congressional leaders on Tuesday for discussions including a stalled national security bill that provides assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, according to the US president’s aides.
Rishi Sunak, Britain’s prime minister, has urged the west to be “bolder” in seizing Russian assets and to give Ukraine any interest already accrued on frozen Russian funds.
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had taken a more advantageous position near Avdiivka in Ukraine and repelled counterattacks.
Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said Russia could be invited to a peace summit if the Kremlin “want[s] to genuinely end this war”.
