The deadly strike came just days after Ukrainian and Russian officials held their first direct peace talks since 2022 in Istanbul.
A Russian drone strike on a civilian minibus in eastern Ukraine killed nine people and wounded four others on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, as renewed diplomatic efforts between Kyiv and Moscow failed to yield progress on ending the war, Reuters reported.
The attack occurred in the town of Bilopillia in Ukraine바카라s northern Sumy region, near the Russian border. According to the regional military administration, the vehicle was en route to the regional capital, Sumy, when it was hit.
바카라Unfortunately, as a result of a cynical attack by the Russians on a bus with civilians, there are dead,바카라 the Sumy military said in a statement.
The region has faced intensified Russian bombardment since March, when Ukrainian forces were pushed out of neighboring areas in Russia바카라s Kursk region, which they had partially controlled since mid-2024.
The deadly strike came just days after Ukrainian and Russian officials held their first direct peace talks since 2022 in Istanbul. While the two sides agreed to a prisoner exchange of 1,000 captives each, no progress was made toward a broader ceasefire or political resolution.
Both delegations reportedly shared their respective 바카라visions of a possible future ceasefire,바카라 according to Russian lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, but there was little indication of meaningful compromise.
The war, now in its fourth year, has devastated Ukrainian cities and displaced millions, with frontlines remaining largely static amid high casualties on both sides.
Amid the diplomatic deadlock, US President Donald Trump has asserted that real progress in the peace process is unlikely until he meets directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump, who is running for re-election, has hinted at a personal diplomatic push if returned to office.
바카라There바카라s nothing going to happen until I sit down with Putin,바카라 Trump said earlier this week.
Kremlin officials echoed the sentiment. 바카라There is no doubt that contacts between President Putin and Trump are important in the context of the Ukrainian negotiations,바카라 said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. 바카라The importance of this cannot be overstated.바카라
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed skepticism that any breakthrough could occur without high-level engagement between Washington and Moscow.
As the war grinds on and civilian casualties mount, the prospects for peace remain as uncertain as ever.