Putin marks end of peace talks by killing nine Ukrainian civilians in drone strike on minibus - as Trump still insists Russian strongman is 'tired' of war
At least nine Ukrainians were killed and more wounded in a savage Russian drone strike on a civilian minibus early Saturday that took place just hours after Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct peace talks in Turkey.
The mangled remains of the blue bus were seen on the road at Bilopillia in the region of Sumy.
At least five civilians were also wounded, including the bus driver.
'The occupiers targeted a bus carrying civilians,' said Ukrainian National Police in a Telegram post.
'This is not just another shelling - it is a cynical war crime.
'The Russian army has again struck a civilian object, disregarding all norms of international law and humanity.'
Ihor Tkachenko, head of Sumy's military administration, said on Telegram that a rescue operation was under way.
Ukraine's police posted photos of a dark blue passenger van nearly destroyed, with the roof torn off and the windows blown out.
Russia's TASS state news agency reported, citing a statement from the defence ministry, that Russian forces struck a Ukrainian military equipment staging area in the Sumy region with drones.
A period of mourning has been declared in Bilopillia from Saturday through Monday, with local community chief Yurii Zarko calling the day of the attack 'Black Saturday.'
The local media outlet Suspilne said the passengers on the bus were being evacuated from Bilopillia when the strike occurred.
Authorities are working to identify some of the victims, most of them elderly women.
The injured were taken to a hospital in Sumy, the regional capital. Three people were reported to be in serious condition.
The Ukrainian town is less than five miles from the Russian border and has been partially evacuated.
It comes after the meeting of Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul failed to broker a temporary ceasefire. It wasn't immediately clear how the strike would affect peace efforts
Friday's meeting was the first direct dialogue between the two sides since the early months of the bloody war Russia launched in February 2022.
While both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, they clearly remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting.
One such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement. The Kremlin has pushed back against such a truce, which remains elusive.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed the talks with US President Donald Trump and the leaders of France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland. In a post on X he urged 'tough sanctions' against Moscow if it rejects 'a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings.'
Trump yesterday vowed to impose sanctions on Moscow if negotiations fail.
'Honestly, I will [impose sanctions], if we're not gonna make a deal,' he told Fox News' Bret Baier.
'This is turkey time, we're talking turkey, and we'll see what happens.
'This would be crushing for Russia because they're having a hard time now with the economy, oil prices are low.'
But despite strong doubts in Ukraine and Europe, Trump said he believed Putin was ready to negotiate.
The US president said: 'Putin is at the table….
'He wanted this meeting [in Istanbul].
'I think Putin is tired of this whole thing. And he's not looking good, and he wants to look good.'
However,Trump said he was the only one who could strong-arm Putin to a deal.
'I always felt there can't be a meeting without me because I don't think a deal's going to get through...
'There's a lot of hatred on both sides.'
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