Russia's recent attack on a passenger train in Dnipro, killing at least 14 people and injuring many more, is a war crime, according to retired Estonian Brig. Gen. Alar Laneman.
What happened
Laneman, a retired brigadier general in the Estonian Defense Forces, stated that Russia is pursuing a calculated strategy to undermine Ukraine's will by using disinformation campaigns to portray civilian infrastructure as legitimate military targets.
Before the Dnipro strike, Russian messaging had accused Ukraine of using its railways to transport troops and equipment, but the target was clearly a passenger train, making it a textbook war crime intended to shock and mentally wear down the population.
Laneman noted that Ukraine lacks the resources to defend all civilian infrastructure against Russian missiles and attack drones, making it difficult to protect railways and other facilities that aren't normally expected to be deliberate targets.
Despite this, Laneman emphasized that history suggests such tactics rarely work, as mass attacks do not typically break a population's resolve to resist.
