KYIV – A Russian drone targeted a passenger bus in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy area on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of nine individuals and injuries to four others, as stated by Ukrainian officials. This attack occurred merely hours after Moscow and Kyiv engaged in their first direct peace negotiations in years, which did not produce a ceasefire.

Photos released by Ukraine’s national police depicted the impact of the assault in Sumy’s city of Bilopillia, located roughly 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the frontline and near the Russian border.

The Associated Press could not independently verify details of the strike and there was no comment from Moscow.

“This represents another war crime by Russia — an intentional attack on civilian transport that posed no danger,” mentioned the Sumy regional administration in a message on the Telegram platform.

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.

It wasn’t immediately clear how the strike would affect peace efforts.

On Friday, Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Turkey in an attempt to reach a temporary ceasefire, but the talks ended after less than two hours without a breakthrough. It was the first face-to-face dialogue between the two sides since the early weeks of Moscow’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

And 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 U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland. In a post on X from a European leadership meeting in Albania, he urged “tough sanctions” against Moscow if it rejects “a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings.”

Kyiv and Moscow agreed in Istanbul to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their biggest such swap. Both sides also discussed a ceasefire and a meeting between their heads of state, according to chief Ukrainian delegate, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, said both sides also agreed to provide each other with detailed ceasefire proposals, with Ukraine requesting the heads of state meeting, which Russia took under consideration.

Zelenskyy was in Tirana, Albania, on Friday, meeting with leaders of 47 European countries to discuss security, defense and democratic standards against the backdrop of the war.

He met with 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, posting a photo of the leaders during the call, the second for the group since May 10.

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Arhirova reported from Istanbul.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine