Russian Drone Kills 9 in Ukraine Bus After Failed Peace Talks/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A Russian drone strike on an evacuation bus in Ukraine’s Sumy region killed nine civilians Saturday, hours after peace talks with Moscow collapsed without a ceasefire. The attack has drawn international outrage.
Ukraine Drone Strike Casualties: Quick Looks
- 9 civilians killed, 7 injured in Sumy region attack
- Strike hit evacuation bus near Bilopillia, 6 miles from Russia
- Peace talks in Istanbul ended with no ceasefire agreement
- Zelenskyy: “Deliberate killing of civilians”
- Russia says it targeted military staging area nearby
- Drone attack coincided with 62 drones launched across Ukraine
- POW exchange deal agreed: 1,000 prisoners each side
- Ceasefire demands from Ukraine rejected by Moscow
- European leaders back Kyiv, criticize Putin’s “cynicism”
Deep Look: Russian Drone Strike Kills 9 in Ukraine, Ceasefire Hopes Dim After Talks Collapse
KYIV, Ukraine — A deadly Russian drone strike on a civilian evacuation bus in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region on Saturday has left nine people dead and seven injured, according to Ukrainian officials, marking another grim milestone just hours after direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended in failure.
The attack took place near Bilopillia, a small town just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Russian border. Most of the victims were elderly women attempting to flee ongoing shelling in the front-line region, authorities said.
“It was the deliberate killing of civilians,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling the drone strike “another reminder that Russia only retains the ability to continue killing.” Zelenskyy emphasized that the strike came shortly after Kyiv proposed a full and unconditional ceasefire—a proposal that Moscow rejected in talks held Friday in Istanbul.
Town in Mourning
A three-day mourning period has been declared in Bilopillia. Yurii Zarko, the local community chief, described Saturday as a “Black Saturday.” Victims were being identified, and the injured were transferred to a hospital in Sumy city.
Local media outlet Suspilne reported that the evacuees were in transit when the bus was struck. Ukrainian police confirmed that three of the wounded remain in critical condition.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed responsibility for a strike in the Sumy region targeting a “military staging area,” but did not acknowledge civilian casualties or specify the location.
Ongoing Front-Line Fighting
According to the Institute for the Study of War, Ukrainian forces have been making incremental advances across the Kursk region, just north of Bilopillia. Ukrainian troops reportedly reached areas near the Russian border village of Tyotkino.
Despite Russia’s announcement last month that it had “reclaimed” Kursk, fighting continues, suggesting Kyiv’s forces are attempting to keep military pressure on Russia while also seeking diplomatic solutions.
Drone Barrage and More Civilian Deaths
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that 62 Russian drones were launched overnight across the country. Thirty-six were shot down, and another six were diverted by electronic warfare systems. Still, other regions were hit, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson, where at least five more civilians were killed in separate incidents of shelling and airstrikes.
Peace Talks Falter, But POW Swap Agreed
Friday’s direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul lasted less than two hours and concluded without any agreement on a ceasefire. It was the first such meeting since the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
While no truce was reached, both sides did agree to the largest prisoner swap to date, with 1,000 POWs to be exchanged by each country, according to delegation leaders Rustem Umerov (Ukraine) and Vladimir Medinsky (Russia).
Russia’s Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for President Vladimir Putin, said the Kremlin may soon submit a list of ceasefire conditions, and hinted that a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy could happen—but only if “unspecified agreements” are reached first.
European Leaders Back Ukraine
Zelenskyy met with the leaders of France, Germany, the U.K., and Poland at a European summit in Tirana, Albania on Friday. Following the summit, he called for tougher sanctions on Moscow, particularly if Russia continues to stall ceasefire efforts.
“Pressure on Russia must be maintained until it’s ready to end the war,” Zelenskyy posted on X (formerly Twitter).
French President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of “cynicism” and failing to engage with ceasefire proposals supported by President Trump and other Western leaders.
“In fact, I’m sure that President Trump, concerned about the credibility of the United States of America, will react,” Macron said, expressing hope that Trump would support efforts to increase pressure on Moscow.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed Zelenskyy’s call for unity, as did Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, forming what Macron described as a “coalition of the willing” to support Ukraine both militarily and diplomatically.
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