Kyiv [Ukraine], May 17 (ANI): Ukrainian officials have said that a Russian drone strike has hit a passenger bus in the Sumy region, killing at least nine people and injuring many others, Euro News reported. The strike comes just hours after officials of Russia and Ukraine held direct peace talks.

In a statement shared on the Telegram messaging app, the Sumy regional administration said, 'This is another war crime by Russia -- a deliberate strike on civilian transport that posed no threat.'

The strikes come just a few hours after Russian and Ukrainian officials held talks in Turkey. Ukraine's National Police shared pictures on Telegram showing the aftermath of the strike in Sumy's Bilopillia city, which is around 10 kilometres from the front line and border with Russia.

Authorities have been working to identify victims, the majority of whom are elderly women, Euro News reported. Four injured people, three of whom were reportedly in a serious condition, have been shifted to a hospital in Sumy city.

A period of mourning has been declared in Bilopillia until Monday, Euro News reported. Local community chief Yurii Zarko called the day of the attack 'Black Saturday.'

The direct talks between Russia and Ukraine began in Turkiye on Friday. At the end of the meeting, a large prisoner swap (one of many in this war) and two discussion topics for future talks - a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the contours of a ceasefire were the only deliverables, CNN reported.

Russia, by proposing the talks last weekend, managed to sidestep an ultimatum from Ukraine and its allies to sign up to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face significant new sanctions.

Speaking to reporters late Friday afternoon, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman, Heorhii Tykhyi, said Ukraine was 'ready to have a ceasefire agreed today,' suggesting this was not achievable as Russia's low-level delegation 'probably has (a) limited mandate,' CNN reported.

Speaking to CNN, a Turkish official said that Russia's delegation made clear that an unconditional ceasefire was not on the table, and if Ukraine wanted the ceasefire, it would have to withdraw from territory Russia does not yet occupy in the four regions - Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. (ANI)