Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

At least nine killed in Russian attack on civilian bus in Ukraine, officials say

The Russian attack on civilians comes hours after Ukraine and Russia held their first peace talks in over three years.

The debris of a blue bus.
Ukrainian officials said a rescue operation was underway. Source: Supplied / Sumy regional military administration

A Russian drone hit a bus, killing nine people and injuring four more in the region of Sumy, Ukrainian officials said, in an attack that took place hours after Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in years.

"This is not just another shelling — it is a cynical war crime," Ukraine's National Police said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

Ihor Tkachenko, head of Sumy's military administration, said on Telegram that a rescue operation was underway.

The meeting of Russian and Ukrainian officials in Turkey on Friday failed to broker a temporary ceasefire.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

It was the first direct dialogue between the two sides since the early months of the war that Russia launched in February 2022 when it invaded its neighbour.

Ukraine's police posted photos of a dark blue passenger van nearly destroyed, with the roof torn off and the windows blown out.

Reuters could not independently verify the Ukrainian report

There was no immediate comment from Moscow.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in their attacks, but thousands have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainians.


For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world