Ukraine-Russia war latest: Nine killed in Russian strike on bus hours after Moscow and Kyiv peace talks

Here’s what Vladimir Medinsky, the pinnacle of Russia’s peace delegation, mentioned after Istanbul talks.

Usually, we’re happy with the outcome and are able to proceed contacts. Within the coming days, there will probably be a large thousand-for-thousand prisoner change.

The Ukrainian aspect requested direct talks between the leaders of the states. We have now taken word of this request.

We have now agreed that every aspect will current its imaginative and prescient of a potential future ceasefire and spell it out intimately. After such a imaginative and prescient has been offered, we imagine it will be acceptable, as additionally agreed, to proceed our negotiations.

US senator have renewed requires Congress to go sanctions on Russia after Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks confirmed little progress, however no votes have been scheduled on payments launched six weeks in the past geared toward pressuring Moscow to barter significantly.

Kyiv and Moscow’s first direct talks in additional than three years on Friday led to properly beneath two hours, with Russia presenting circumstances {that a} Ukrainian supply described as “non-starters.”

Russian President Vladimir “Putin will proceed stonewalling and slow-walking ceasefire efforts until his financial system is hit onerous — isolating it on a monetary island,” Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal mentioned in an announcement urging a vote on sanctions laws.

Mr Blumenthal and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham launched a invoice on 1 April that’s supposed to make it harder for Russia to fund its battle by including provisions like a 500 per cent tariff on imports to the US from international locations that purchase Russian power.

The Senate invoice now has at the least 73 co-sponsors within the 100-member chamber, though leaders haven’t indicated when it may be introduced up for a vote. The same measure launched the identical day within the Home of Representatives has 28 co-sponsors, additionally from each events.

Mr Graham, who was in Turkey for a Nato overseas ministers assembly this week, referred to as for the invoice’s passage, criticizing Mr Putin’s choice to not attend the talks with Ukraine.

“In terms of Russia’s video games, sufficient is sufficient,” Mr Graham mentioned in an announcement.

British overseas minister Lammy accused Moscow of obfuscating after talks between Ukraine and Russia on a potential ceasefire led to lower than two hours.

“But once more we’re seeing obfuscation on the Russian aspect and unwillingness to get critical in regards to the enduring peace that’s now required in Ukraine,” Mr Lammy mentioned. “As soon as once more Russia is just not critical.”

“At what level do we are saying to Putin sufficient is sufficient?” he mentioned

It got here as Donald Trump mentioned “nothing may occur” till he had met instantly with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

On the assembly convened by Turkey, the negotiating groups sat reverse each other at a U-shaped desk, with the Russians wearing fits whereas half of the Ukrainians wore navy fatigues.

The ambiance was calm, a Turkish official mentioned. No concrete timetable or location was agreed for the subsequent talks, the official mentioned, with each side needing to debrief their leaders first.

The Ukrainians spoke in their very own language by way of an interpreter, a Ukrainian supply mentioned, though Russian is broadly spoken in Ukraine.

A Ukrainian and a European supply mentioned Russia rejected a Ukrainian request for US representatives to be within the room.

Two sources acquainted with the talks mentioned Vladimir Medinsky, the pinnacle of Russia’s peace delegation mentioned Russia was able to preserve preventing for so long as essential, drawing a parallel with the wars of Tsar Peter the Nice in opposition to Sweden, which lasted 21 years within the early 1700s.

“We don’t need battle, however we’re able to battle for a yr, two, three so long as you need,” one of many sources quoted him as saying.

Right here is the recap of occasions since Friday in case you are simply becoming a member of us.

• Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks since 2022 in Istanbul, on the Dolmabahce Palace. The assembly lasted just below two hours; neither Vladimir Putin nor Volodymyr Zelensky attended

• No main breakthrough was achieved, with expectations already low forward of the talks. The one tangible end result was an settlement to change 1,000 prisoners of battle every – the biggest swap of the battle

• Ukraine pushed for a 30-day ceasefire, however Moscow rejected the proposal and caught to its maximalist calls for

• Ukraine mentioned Russia signalled willingness to proceed talks and acknowledged Ukraine’s request for a Zelensky and Putin assembly

• Zelenskyy reiterated his name for an instantaneous, full, and sincere ceasefire to cease the bloodshed. He additionally urged additional sanctions on Moscow if it refuses to comply with a ceasefire

• Hours after the talks in Turkey, a Russian drone strike killed 9 individuals in Ukraine’s Sumy after a bus got here beneath assault. Russia mentioned it was focusing on focused a Ukrainian navy gear staging space within the Sumy area

The negotiations, held in Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace and mediated by a Turkish staff, happened after a turbulent two days forged doubt over whether or not the assembly would happen in any respect.

The talks lasted beneath two hours and there was no fast announcement on whether or not or when the edges may meet once more, though Russia expressed satisfaction with the assembly and mentioned it was able to proceed contacts.

Ukraine mentioned its subsequent aim is for Vladimir Putin to fulfill instantly with Volodymyr Zelensky; Russia mentioned it had “taken word” of the request.

Ukraine’s Nationwide Police referred to as the bus strike in Sumy a “cynical battle crime” after 9 individuals have been killed in a drone strike on a bus.

“This isn’t simply one other shelling, it’s a cynical battle crime,” Ukraine’s Nationwide Police mentioned in a submit on the Telegram messaging app.

Ihor Tkachenko, head of Sumy’s navy administration, mentioned on Telegram {that a} rescue operation was beneath approach.

A Russian drone hit a bus, killing 9 individuals and injuring 4 extra within the area of Sumy, Ukrainian officers mentioned on Saturday, in an assault that happened hours after Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct peace talks in years.

Ukraine’s police posted images of a darkish blue passenger van almost destroyed, with the roof torn off and the home windows blown out.

Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed it had focused a Ukrainian navy gear staging space within the Sumy area, in accordance with state information company Tass.

It got here shortly after Ukrainian officers mentioned 9 individuals have been killed after a drone strike hit a bus, killing 9 passengers.

The assault occurred after a gathering of Russian and Ukrainian officers in Turkey on Friday didn’t dealer a brief ceasefire. It was the primary direct dialogue between the 2 sides for the reason that early months of the battle that Russia launched in February 2022.

The photographs have emerged of the passenger bus that was hit by a drone strike in Ukraine’s Sumy, killing 9 individuals.

The blue passenger bus was badly broken, with its roof partially blown off and the precise aspect utterly destroyed.