Date: May 17, 2025
By: BlogHear News Staff
Bilopillia, Ukraine — A Russian drone strike on Saturday morning killed nine civilians and injured seven others in the northeastern Ukrainian town of Bilopillia, according to Ukrainian regional officials.
The attack targeted a civilian minibus traveling toward the regional capital in Sumy, near the Russian border. Ukrainian authorities identified the drone used as a Russian Lancet model, and described the strike as “inhumane” and intentional.
“This was a deliberate killing of civilians,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a public address. “The Russian forces could not help but understand what kind of vehicle they were hitting.”
Contrasting Narratives
Russia has not issued an official statement regarding the strike. However, state-run Russian media reported the attack targeted a “military staging area” in Sumy.
The differing narratives come at a sensitive time, as Russia and Ukraine just concluded their first direct peace talks since 2022. Held in Istanbul, Turkey, the negotiations yielded limited progress, but both sides agreed to a mutual exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war in the coming days.
Zelensky, commenting on the discussions, reiterated Ukraine’s willingness to implement a full ceasefire. “As on any day of this war, there was an opportunity to cease fire. Ukraine has been offering this for a long time,” he said.
Ongoing Violence Amid Diplomatic Efforts
The drone strike on the minibus is the latest in a series of deadly attacks in the Sumy region, which borders Russia’s Kursk area. Earlier this week, Russian drone and artillery strikes in the region killed three civilians and injured nine more, according to local authorities.
Ukraine, in turn, launched a retaliatory drone strike on Saturday targeting an ammunition depot in Russian-occupied Crimea. Reports indicate that the Ukrainian drones caused the detonation of warehouses used to store military supplies, fuel, and weapons.
Call for High-Level Talks
Following the Istanbul discussions, Ukraine emphasized the importance of direct dialogue between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia responded by saying it had “taken notice” of the proposal.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump stated during a Middle East tour that significant progress in peace negotiations would only happen through direct talks between him and Putin.
“Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together,” Trump said aboard Air Force One. “He wasn’t going if I wasn’t there, and I don’t believe anything’s going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together.”
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Since then, conflict zones like Sumy have seen recurring offensives and humanitarian crises, even as international efforts continue to broker peace.
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