A Russian drone strike on an evacuation minibus in northeastern Ukraine has killed nine civilians, most of them elderly women, sparking renewed outrage and a call for tougher international sanctions from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The attack occurred early Saturday morning in Bilopillya, a town in the Sumy region near the Russian border, which has endured repeated bombardment in recent weeks. Local authorities say the bus was clearly marked and in the process of evacuating civilians when it was struck by at least one Lancet drone, a type of loitering munition used by Russian forces.
“This was a deliberate killing of civilians,” Zelenskyy wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “The Russians could not have failed to understand what kind of vehicle they were targeting. Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy.”
The blast tore the roof off the vehicle, leaving bodies and wreckage strewn across the rural road. Four passengers were injured and taken to a hospital in Sumy. Emergency responders were still working to retrieve the deceased as of Saturday afternoon.
“This bus was carrying people out of the city for evacuation,” said Yurii Zarko, head of the Bilopillya administration, who declared three days of mourning in the town. “Some victims have not yet been identified. Most of them are elderly women, along with two or three men.”
The attack came just hours after Russia and Ukraine concluded their first direct peace talks since 2022 in Istanbul. The two-hour meeting ended without a ceasefire deal, though both sides agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange, 1,000 for 1,000, as a goodwill gesture.
However, any optimism generated by the talks quickly evaporated. Moscow reportedly laid out stringent preconditions for further negotiations, including a demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from five regions, some of which remain under Kyiv’s control. The Kremlin also raised objections about President Zelenskyy’s role in future agreements, casting doubt on the sincerity of Russia’s diplomatic overtures.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed it had targeted a Ukrainian military equipment staging area in Sumy, according to state news agency Tass. However, Ukrainian officials say there were no military personnel or hardware in the vicinity of the minibus.
The tragedy underscores the fragile and volatile state of ceasefire discussions. French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking from Tirana at a summit of European leaders, accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “cynicism,” calling out Moscow’s mixed signals regarding the peace process.
Despite the setback, both delegations are expected to “present their vision of a possible future ceasefire” in upcoming communications. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the prisoner swap must be completed before further talks are scheduled.
Residents in Bilopillya and nearby Vorozhba were already under evacuation orders due to intensified shelling. Daily evacuation buses had been running since May 5. The weekend attack has now cast a grim shadow over those efforts, highlighting the extreme dangers civilians face even while fleeing to safety.
As Ukraine mourns yet another loss of innocent life, President Zelenskyy continues to rally the international community for action, insisting that peace will remain elusive without firmer resolve from global powers.
