Russian drone strike on civilian bus in northeastern Ukraine kills nine people, officials say
Nine people have been killed after a Russian drone reportedly struck a civilian bus in north-eastern Ukraine, as ITV News' Will Tullis reports
A Russian drone struck a civilian bus in north-eastern Ukraine, killing nine and injuring four others, Ukrainian officials said.
The alleged attack came just hours after Moscow and Kyiv held their first face-to-face peace talks since 2022, which ended with an agreement on a prisoner swap but failed to result in a temporary ceasefire.
Ukrainian police released photos claiming to show the aftermath of the strike in Sumy's Bilopillia city, around 10km (6 miles) from the front line and border with Russia.
Russia claims it hit what it calls a "military staging area" in this region, whereas Ukraine has called the incident a "cynical war crime".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as 'deliberate killing of civilians.' He said in a post on Telegram messaging app that the "Russians could scarcely not realize what kind of vehicle they were hitting.'
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.
Russia's defence ministry claimed its forces hit a military staging area in the Sumy region on Saturday morning, around 50km (31 miles) southeast of Bilopillia, without mentioning any other attacks there.
Ceasefire talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul on Friday ended after less than two hours without a breakthrough.
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