Kramatorsk station strike and a week of diplomatic reaction
A retrospective on 8 April 2022, when a missile attack on an evacuation hub in Kramatorsk followed days of international condemnation of Russia.
What happened on 8 April 2022 in Kramatorsk, and how did it fit into the diplomatic mood of that week? On that day, Russian forces struck the railway station in Kramatorsk with a missile. The station was being used to evacuate civilians. According to officials, 57 people were killed and 109 were wounded. Many European officials condemned the attack, while Russia's Ministry of Defence denied carrying it out.
A week of condemnation
The strike came after days of international reaction to the killings in Bucha. On 6 April 2022, Pope Francis condemned the Bucha massacre during his weekly audience at the Vatican. He called for the war to stop, for weapons to fall silent and for the sowing of death and destruction to end.
On 7 April 2022, amid global outrage over Bucha, the UN General Assembly voted to suspend Russia's membership of the UN Human Rights Council. In the vote, 93 countries were in favour and 24 against, while 58 abstained.
Evacuation routes
Evacuation was already a pressing matter. On 6 April 2022, eleven humanitarian corridors were due to open. Routes ran from Mariupol, Berdiansk, Tokmak, Enerhodar, Huliaipole and Melitopol to Zaporizhzhia. Others ran to Bakhmut from Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Popasna, Rubizhne and Hirske.
Against that background, the attack on a station used for evacuation drew particular attention on 8 April 2022. The reported toll of 57 dead and 109 wounded, together with the denial from Moscow, framed the day's coverage.
