Russian drone and missile strikes hit Ukraine on October 29, with conflicting reports on the death toll at a railway platform in Dnipro, while Moscow said its air defences intercepted a record 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight. The attacks also disrupted air traffic around Moscow and prompted fresh warnings from Kyiv that Russia could launch more ballistic missiles.

Deadly strike at Dnipro station

Ukrainian officials said a Russian drone hit a platform at Dnipro’s main railway station as a commuter train was preparing to leave. State rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia said a jet-powered drone struck the platform where the Dnipro-Zaporizhzhia train was standing.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strike was deliberate and came when many people were expecting de-escalation. He also said Ukrainian intelligence had information about Russian preparations for new ballistic missile strikes, without naming dates or targets.

Casualty figures differed across the reports. One account said at least 14 people were killed, while another put the toll at 13 dead and 10 injured.

Russia reports a record overnight interception total

Russia’s defence ministry said air defences destroyed 1,214 Ukrainian drones over several regions overnight, the highest number it said it had recorded in a single night since the war began. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 613 of the drones were headed toward the capital region and that 231 were downed on approach to the city.

Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation agency, restricted arrivals and departures at Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports. Two flights from Turkey to Moscow were diverted, and the restrictions at Zhukovsky were lifted after about an hour.

More deaths reported elsewhere in Ukraine

Separate reports said five people were killed in daytime strikes on two other provincial cities and one person died in a late-evening missile strike in Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities said warehouses burned and falling debris damaged a building on the east side of the Dnipro River.

Ukraine also said Russia launched 16 ballistic missiles and more than 280 drones in a major attack on October 27. Kyiv said it intercepted two of the missiles and 255 drones, but that energy facilities, logistics sites and urban areas were still hit.

At the same time, both Russia and Ukraine said demining around the Russian-held town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine had been completed, clearing the way for an aid operation and possible departures by residents.

European leaders call for more pressure

After the attacks, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for stronger support for Ukraine and more pressure on Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron said Moscow was continuing to choose escalation rather than peace.