A deadly Russian drone strike on a civilian bus in Ukraine’s Sumy region has killed three elderly women and injured 19 others. The attack, which occurred near the border village of Yunakivka, is being condemned as a deliberate act of terror against unarmed civilians. This incident follows intensified drone exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, with both nations escalating cross-border strikes. Amidst ongoing conflict, President Zelensky continues to call for direct peace talks with Putin, while Russia presses unacceptable conditions.
Russia Targets Civilian Bus with Drone Strike in Ukraine’s Sumy Region, Killing Three Women and Injuring 19
In yet another brutal attack on civilians, a Russian drone strike on a civilian bus in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region has left at least three people dead and 19 others injured. The drone strike took place near the village of Yunakivka, a community located merely 8 kilometers from Ukraine’s border with Russia. Ukrainian officials say the strike targeted a bright green civilian bus that was transporting 39 passengers — all of them unarmed civilians returning to inspect their homes after earlier evacuations.
The Sumy Regional Military Administration confirmed the tragic deaths of three elderly women, aged between 66 and 78, all residents of the border community of Yunakivska. The attack has been widely condemned by Ukrainian authorities, who released images of the destroyed vehicle, emphasizing that the strike was intentional and deliberate. Ukrainian officials accused Russia of deploying a “human safari” tactic — killing civilians purely to terrorize and demoralize the population.
Reports state that five individuals sustained serious injuries, with one woman currently undergoing surgery in critical condition. The incident follows another drone attack just a day earlier in the same region, which left three people injured. Ukrainian authorities believe Russia is escalating its assaults on border regions as part of a broader psychological warfare campaign.
As tensions rise, Ukraine has also intensified its retaliatory strikes inside Russian territory. In one such instance, Ukrainian drones targeted St. Petersburg, forcing authorities to shut down the city’s airport for five hours. The drone strike coincided with Russia’s Navy Day celebrations in the city — an annual event usually accompanied by military parades and live broadcasts. However, this year’s event was notably scaled down, a decision the Kremlin said was due to growing security threats.
Despite the heightened alert, President Vladimir Putin made a symbolic visit to the Admiral Grigorovich frigate of the Baltic Fleet. He congratulated the crew for allegedly repelling Ukraine’s drone attack and praised their role in safeguarding Russian territory.
Meanwhile, Ukraine also launched another drone assault on Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region. That attack resulted in the death of one man after debris from a downed UAV caused a fire. Three others were reportedly injured in the incident.
The past few weeks have seen an unprecedented exchange of drone and missile strikes between the two nations. Dozens of civilians have been killed or injured on both sides, further escalating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
As the violence continues, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pushing for a high-level peace summit with President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky hopes to initiate talks by the end of August. However, the Kremlin has downplayed the possibility of such a meeting, citing differing preconditions for a ceasefire.
Ukraine has accused Russia of sending only low-level officials to recent peace talks, arguing that they lacked the authority to make meaningful decisions. On the other hand, Moscow has insisted that any negotiations must include Ukraine’s formal recognition of Russian sovereignty over four regions that it has illegally annexed. Kyiv has firmly rejected this demand as “unacceptable.”
Adding to the geopolitical drama, Russia has now started operating direct commercial flights to North Korea. On Sunday, a Nordwind Airlines passenger aircraft took off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport and landed in Pyongyang after an eight-hour journey. This marks the first direct commercial connection between the two heavily sanctioned nations in recent history. Until the European Union imposed a ban on Russian carriers, Nordwind Airlines was known for flying Russians to popular vacation spots in Europe.
The latest drone attack in Sumy, which targeted innocent civilians aboard a clearly marked bus, underscores the growing danger and lawlessness of the ongoing war. With no immediate diplomatic resolution in sight, the humanitarian toll continues to rise with each passing day.