Kyiv [Ukraine], May 17 (ANI): Ukrainian officials have confirmed that a Russian drone strike targeted a passenger bus in the Sumy region, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people and injuring several others, according to Euro News.
The attack occurred just hours after Russian and Ukrainian officials held direct peace talks in Turkey. The Sumy regional administration condemned the strike on the Telegram messaging app, calling it “another war crime by Russia — a deliberate strike on civilian transport that posed no threat.”
The strike hit the city of Bilopillia, located about 10 kilometers from the front line and the Russian border. Ukraine’s National Police shared graphic images of the attack’s aftermath on Telegram. Authorities are working to identify the victims, most of whom are elderly women. Four injured individuals, three in serious condition, were transported to a hospital in Sumy city.
Bilopillia has declared a period of mourning until Monday. Local community leader Yurii Zarko described the day of the attack as “Black Saturday.”
The strike came amid ongoing peace talks in Turkey, which resulted in a large prisoner exchange and preliminary discussions on a potential ceasefire and a future meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, no concrete ceasefire agreement was reached.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi expressed readiness for a ceasefire but indicated that Russia’s delegation, with a limited mandate, was unlikely to agree. Turkish officials noted Russia insisted that any ceasefire would require Ukraine to withdraw from territories in the eastern and southern regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson currently contested in the conflict.
The talks and subsequent attack highlight the fragile and tense situation as both sides navigate ongoing conflict and diplomatic efforts. (ANI)
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