In a deadly escalation of the ongoing conflict, a Russian drone attack struck a civilian minibus in Bilopillia, located in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy region, killing nine people and injuring seven others, Ukrainian officials confirmed on Saturday morning.
The targeted vehicle was en route to the regional capital of Sumy, near the Russian border, when it was struck by what authorities believe was a Russian Lancet drone around 06:17 local time (03:17 GMT).
According to Oleh Hryhorov, head of the Sumy regional military administration, the drone strike was “inhumane” and clearly aimed at civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, describing it as “a deliberate act of killing civilians,” stating that Russian forces “could not mistake the type of vehicle they were attacking.”
Tragedy Amid Renewed Peace Talks
The strike came just hours after Ukraine and Russia held their first face-to-face peace talks since 2022, hosted in Istanbul, Turkey. Although the discussions failed to yield any resolution to the conflict, both parties did agree to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war in the coming days.
Zelensky noted, “Ukraine has consistently extended an offer for a ceasefire. Every day presents an opportunity to end this war.”
Russia Denies Targeting Civilians
While the Kremlin has not officially commented, Russian state media claimed that their forces targeted a “military staging area” in the Sumy region. Ukraine dismissed these claims, insisting the victims were all unarmed civilians.
This latest strike comes amid rising tensions, with Russia having intensified cross-border assaults in recent weeks. Ukraine has also launched drone strikes, including one on Saturday that reportedly hit an ammunition depot in Crimea, the region Russia annexed in 2014.
Trump Weighs In During Middle East Visit
Amid these developments, former U.S. President Donald Trump, currently on a diplomatic visit to the Middle East, weighed in on the conflict. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump stated, “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I sit down together. That’s the reality.”
Trump’s remarks highlight the growing belief that a direct Trump-Putin dialogue may be crucial to any future peace negotiations. Meanwhile, Russia responded by saying it had “taken notice” of Ukraine’s request for leader-level talks between Zelensky and Putin.