Hours after peace talks, Russian strike on passenger van in Ukraine kills nine; Kyiv calls for tougher sanctions | World News
A Russian drone strike on a passenger van in northeastern Ukraine killed nine civilians, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to renew his call for tougher international sanctions on Moscow.
The attack, which news agency Reuters said targeted a vehicle in the Sumy region, came just hours after the first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks in three years failed to produce a ceasefire.
“All the deceased were civilians. And the Russians could not have failed to understand what kind of vehicle they were targeting. This was a deliberate killing of civilians,” Zelenskyy said on X, condemning the strike as a calculated attack on non-combatants.
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Ukrainian police released images of the aftermath, showing the mangled remains of a dark blue passenger van with its roof torn off and windows shattered the blast.
In this photo provided the Ukrainian Emergency Service, rescuers recover the bodies of passengers after a Russian drone struck a passenger bus at the village of Bilopillya in the Sumy region, Ukraine, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
‘Russia will not seek real diplomacy without pressure’
The drone strike has reignited criticism of Moscow’s negotiating posture after Friday’s high-profile talks in anbul yielded no breakthroughs. “Pressure must be exerted on Russia to stop the killings,” Zelenskyy said. “Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy.”
He accused the Kremlin of sending “a weak and unprepared” delegation to the talks, suggesting Moscow was not serious about engaging in meaningful peace negotiations. The meeting, held under international pressure and brokered in part Turkish officials, was the first such direct contact between Kyiv and Moscow since the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russia’s cynical strike on a bus in the Sumy region kills 8 people – Regional Military Adminration#RussiaIsATerrorState #ukrainerussiawar️️️️ https://t.co/if4A2p7Z20 pic.twitter.com/3VkkxW6cog
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) May 17, 2025
“We are expecting strong sanctions against Russia from the United States, from Europe, and from all our partners. Diplomacy must start working,” Zelenskyy said, urging immediate action in the wake of the civilian deaths.Story continues below this ad
While US President Donald Trump has urged both sides to engage in dialogue, he cast doubt on the effectiveness of the anbul meeting, declaring that “nothing could happen” until he personally meets Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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