Russian Drone Kills 9 in Ukraine Amid Failed Peace Talks

Ukrainian forces successfully shot down 36 Russian drones during a large-scale aerial attack involving 62 Shahed strike drones and decoys launched from multiple Russian-controlled locations. The drone assault caused damage across several Ukrainian regions, including Sumy, where a Russian drone struck a passenger bus near Bilopillia, killing nine people and injuring four others. This deadly attack occurred just hours after Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct peace talks in years, which ended without agreeing on a ceasefire but resulted in a prisoner swap agreement. Ukrainian officials and regional authorities condemned the bus strike as a deliberate war crime targeting civilians, with local mourning declared in Bilopillia. Despite hopes for peace, the talks revealed significant divides between the two sides over conditions for halting the fighting, with Ukraine and its allies pushing for a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward resolution. The Kremlin has so far resisted such a truce, prolonging the conflict that has devastated Ukraine for over three years.