Deadly Drone Strike Kills 9 on Ukraine Bus, Shattering Fragile Hope Hours After Peace Talks
A devastating Russian drone attack struck a civilian bus in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region on Saturday morning, killing at least nine people and injuring seven others. Local authorities confirmed the strike occurred in the city of Bilopillia. Oleh Hrihorov, head of Sumy's military administration, reported that three of the injured are in critical condition.
Ukrainian officials condemned the attack, with the National Police stating on Telegram, "This is not just another shelling – it is a cynical war crime." Police and local authorities explicitly described the bus as a civilian target. The incident tragically unfolded just hours after Ukraine and Russia had concluded their first direct peace talks in three years.
These face-to-face negotiations took place on Friday in Istanbul, chaired by Turkey. While the delegations discussed potential meetings between leaders, a possible ceasefire, and a prisoner swap, no major breakthrough was reported from the talks. According to a source familiar with the negotiations, Russia demanded that Ukraine cede land still under Kyiv's control, a position that Ukraine has consistently rejected. Leaders from the UK, France, Germany, and Poland reportedly described these Russian demands as "unacceptable."
Russia has not yet issued a direct response regarding Ukraine's specific claims of striking a civilian bus. However, Russia’s state news agency TASS reported around the same time, citing a statement from the defense ministry, that Russian forces did strike a Ukrainian equipment staging site in the Sumy region using drones. Both nations have repeatedly accused each other of targeting civilians, claims which each side denies.
The Sumy bus attack contributes to a broader casualty toll across Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities reported that overall Russian attacks killed at least 13 people and injured over 38 in the past 24 hours, including the incident in Sumy. Deaths were also reported in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions during this period.
Despite the renewed violence following the talks, the possibility of future diplomatic movement remains a point of discussion. The Kremlin, through spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, stated Saturday that a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin could potentially happen, but only as "a result of the work of the delegations of both sides in reaching certain agreements." Peskov also mentioned preparations for exchanging a list of "conditions" for a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine. Kyiv and its allies continue to advocate for an unconditional truce and accuse Russia of intentionally hindering peace efforts.
Adding another dimension to the diplomatic landscape, US President Donald Trump announced in a social media post his intention to call Russian President Putin on Monday at 10 a.m. in an effort to broker a ceasefire deal. Trump added that he plans to speak with President Zelensky and various leaders of NATO countries afterwards, reiterating his belief that progress on peace talks requires direct communication between himself and the Russian president.