New Delhi: The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has called for tougher sanctions against Russia after a drone strike hit a railway platform in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing 13 people and injuring 10 others. His appeal comes amid the United States president, Donald Trump, recent decision to waive key new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia, as Washington seeks to keep diplomatic channels with Moscow open.
The attack targeted a platform where a commuter train and a scheduled passenger train were standing, Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Thursday. Emergency services were working at the scene, while the Ukrainian president expressed condolences to the families of those killed.
Linking the latest attack to the broader question of Western pressure on Moscow, Zelenskyy criticized the easing of sanctions against Russian interests. He argued that Russia’s continued military operations demonstrated the need for stronger measures rather than concessions.
“Sanctions against Moscow and its war machine must not be eased for as long as this Russian war continues,” Zelenskyy wrote.
He called on the European Union, the United States and the G7 to introduce fresh sanctions, specifically urging international partners to maintain pressure on Russia’s energy sector and individuals linked to its political and economic establishment.
The appeal comes after Trump issued an executive order on October 16 waiving key provisions of the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The order suspended the application of several new sanctions and tariff measures, including proposed duties on Russian goods and additional tariffs targeting major buyers of Russian oil and gas. Trump said the waiver was in the national interest of the United States, as RNA Media earlier reported.
Zelenskyy’s latest statement underscores the divide over how Washington and its allies should use economic pressure to influence the course of the war. While the Trump administration has sought to preserve room for negotiations, Kyiv continues to argue that sanctions should remain in place and be strengthened until Russia ends its “terrorist strikes”.
The Ukrainian president urged western partners to respond to the latest attack with coordinated action, maintaining that decisive sanctions against Moscow and its war machine remain necessary while the conflict continues.