Tragedy Strikes in Sumy: A Deadly Drone Attack Amidst Peace Talks

In a devastating turn of events, a Russian drone attack on a bus in Ukraine's Sumy region claimed the lives of nine people, leaving another four injured, Ukrainian officials reported on Saturday. The attack unfolded hours after Moscow and Kyiv conducted their first direct peace talks in several years.

Ukraine's National Police deemed the assault a 'cynical war crime' on the Telegram messaging app. Meanwhile, the Russian TASS state news agency, referencing a statement from the defense ministry, mentioned that Russian forces targeted a Ukrainian military equipment staging area in the region.

Efforts to negotiate a temporary ceasefire during a meeting in Turkey on Friday ended in failure. This event marked the first direct dialogue since the war's inception in February 2022. Ihor Tkachenko, head of Sumy's military administration, indicated a rescue operation was underway. The ongoing conflict has primarily affected Ukrainians, with thousands of civilian casualties reported.

(With inputs from agencies.)