On Friday morning, another deadly drone strike targeted civilians in northern Ukraine. It claimed the lives of nine people and seriously injured four others. The bus was traveling the route that it always took to Sumy, where civilians were fleeing the war-torn city of Bilopillya. On September 8 as early as 6 a.m. local time, it got hit.
The attack appeared to have focused on a bus transporting evacuees. These evacuees, predominantly elderly women, were trying to escape the fighting and it was at this moment that at least one Lancet drone hit. Local officials told the media that most of the victims were elderly women. This national tragedy has struck hardest to our nation’s most vulnerable populations.
Yurii Zarko, the head of the town’s administration, said he feels terrible over the tragedy. Putin announced a three-day mourning period in Bilopillya.
“This bus was carrying people out of the city for evacuation,” – Yurii Zarko
Rescue teams were forced to treat the victims at the scene before taking them to a hospital in Sumy. Zarko said work was still ongoing to recover the bodies, and that some of the victims have not yet been identified.
“Wounded were treated at the scene and then moved to a hospital in Sumy. We are currently retrieving the bodies. Some victims have not yet been identified. Most of them are elderly women, along with two or three men,” – Yurii Zarko
The Sumy regional administration was first to report the strike on Telegram, just moments after it struck. Human Rights Watch labelled it yet another blatant indication of Russia’s indifference to civilian life. In their own network message, they denounced the attack as a purposeful attack on non-military targets.
“This is another war crime by Russia – a deliberate strike on civilian transport that posed no threat,” – Sumy regional administration
According to witnesses, the bus was on its regular route when it was attacked by the drone strike.
“The bus was moving to Sumy on its usual route when Russia launched a targeted strike,” – Serhiy Kryvosheenko
The incident came barely hours after the latest round of peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow broke down. This analysis underscores the tensions and violence that have continued to increase across the region. Local residents soon began getting emergency evacuation orders from Bilopillya and neighboring Vorozhba beginning on May 5. As a result, the escalation of Russian shelling has necessitated evacuation by bus on a daily basis since that date.
Given such violence on the rise, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again called for more robust global action against Russia.
“Our position – if the Russians reject a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings, tough sanctions must follow,” – Volodymyr Zelenskyy
He reiterated the message that sustained pressure should be applied on Russia until it is ready to stop waging war and fighting.
“Pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war,” – Volodymyr Zelenskyy