Nine people have been killed and four injured in a Russian attack on a civilian bus in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, Kyiv has said.
"Medics and rescuers have been urgently sent to the scene," Ihor Tkachenko, head of Sumy's military administration, announced on Telegram.
The deadly strike occurred just hours after the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in three years.
Ukraine's National Police posted photos showing a dark blue passenger van nearly destroyed, with its roof torn off and windows blown out.
Ukraine's National Police posted photos showing a dark blue passenger van nearly destroyed, with its roof torn off and windows blown out
Telegram/Sumy Regional Military Administration
The police condemned the attack on Telegram, stating: "This is not just another shelling - it is a cynical war crime".
Russia's TASS state news agency reported that the defence ministry claimed Russian forces had struck a Ukrainian military equipment staging area in the Sumy region with drones.
However, Moscow's account comes in stark contrast to Ukraine's National Police decision to label the incident a war crime rather than a military operation.
The attack came just hours after the meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Turkey ended without success in establishing a temporary ceasefire.
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Vladimir Putin sent representatives to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky after he confirmed he would not attend the negotiations in person
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The talks marked the first direct negotiations between the warring nations in three years, but failed to produce any breakthrough in the ongoing conflict.
The deadly bus attack has now further escalated tensions following the unsuccessful peace discussions.
Vladimir Putin sent representatives to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky after he confirmed he would not attend the negotiations in person.
Despite failing to come to a peace agreement, Moscow and Kyiv said agreed to exchange a thousand prisoners of war each, marking the biggest exchange since the conflict began in 2022.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer joined European leaders in a visit to the capital of Ukraine to be hosted by President Volodymyr Zelensky, where the Western Allies attempted to pressure Putin into a diplomatic deal
REUTERSPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer joined European leaders in a visit to the capital of Ukraine to be hosted by President Volodymyr Zelensky, where the Western Allies attempted to pressure Putin into a diplomatic deal.
US President Donald Trump aligned himself with the West, putting pressure on the Kremlin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire.
The US President called for "ideally" a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump also warned that if any temporary treaty is violated, the US and its allies will "impose further sanctions."
