Russia denies Ukraine's accusation of airstrikes on railway station

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – The Kremlin on Friday denied Ukrainian reports of Russian airstrikes on a railway station in the eastern part of the country.

Allegations by Kyiv of a deadly Russian rocket attack on the railway station in Kramatorsk are a provocation and “absolutely do not correspond to reality," Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that Tochka-U missiles, fragments of which were photographed at the railway station, are used only by the Ukrainian armed forces.

The ministry also said that on March 14, the Ukrainian army struck the center of the eastern city of Donetsk, killing 17 and wounding 36 more civilians.

Kramatorsk is also located in the Donetsk oblast, an enclave whose “independence” Moscow recognized on the eve of the war.

According to Ukrainian state railways, more than 30 people were killed and over 100 wounded in Friday’s attack.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with the EU, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,611 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,227 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

More than 4.3 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.​​​​​​​