Russia claims a Ukrainian strike hit a bus in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region, killing nine people. The bus was reportedly traveling from Lysychansk to Kadiivka. Ukraine's President Zelensky has called similar attacks deliberate killings of civilians and urged for tougher sanctions on Russia.
The reported strike on a civilian bus in Russian-controlled territory highlights the ongoing civilian toll of the conflict in Ukraine. Such incidents can influence international perceptions of the war and fuel calls for increased sanctions or diplomatic pressure.
Nine people were killed when a Ukrainian strike hit a bus in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, according to Leonid Pasechnik, the region's Russian-installed Governor. Pasechnik stated the bus was en route from Lysychansk to Kadiivka at the time of the incident, but provided no further details. Reuters could not independently verify this report.
In a separate incident on May 17, 2025, nine civilians were killed and seven injured in a Russian drone strike on a bus in Ukraine's Sumy region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described this attack as a deliberate killing of civilians and called for stronger sanctions against Russia. The Sumy regional military administration reported the bus was hit by a Russian Lancet drone. Russia's defense ministry claimed forces struck a Ukrainian military equipment staging area in the Sumy region with drones, but did not directly comment on the bus attack.