A drone attack by Russia targeted a passenger bus in northeastern Ukraine on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of nine people and injuring four more, as reported by Ukrainian officials. 

This incident occurred just hours after the first direct peace talks in years between Russian and Ukrainian representatives, where no ceasefire agreement was reached in the conflict that commenced with Moscow’s invasion in February 2022.

The national police of Ukraine shared photos depicting the aftermath of the strike in Bilopillia city, located in the Sumy region, around six miles from the front lines and the Russian border.

“This is another war crime by Russia — a deliberate strike on civilian transport that posed no threat,” the Sumy regional administration said on Telegram.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks on the phone during a meeting at the European Political Community summit in Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP)

Zelenskyy said he discussed the negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland. On X, he called for “tough sanctions” against Moscow if it rejects “a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings.”

Zelenskyy was in Tirana, Albania, on Friday, to meet with leaders of 47 European countries to discuss security, defense and democratic standards. The leaders he met included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

“Pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war,” Zelenskyy said on X.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.