Nine civilians were killed and seven injured in the early hours of 17 May when a Russian Lancet drone struck a civilian shuttle bus near the town of Bilopillia in Sumy Oblast. The Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported the deliberate strike on the bus, which was carrying local residents evacuating to Sumy. According to officials, the bus departed Bilopillia at 06:00 when it was targeted by a drone attack just outside the town.

Regional and local municipal authorities confirmed that Russia’s Lancet loitering munition hit the moving bus after it was located by a reconnaissance UAV. The resulting explosion killed nine passengers and wounded five others. Three of the wounded are in critical condition. Authorities reported that most of the deceased were elderly women, with two to three men also among the dead.

Local resident Liudmyla told Suspilne that the bus was a scheduled 6:00 morning route to Sumy. The National Police of Sumy Oblast stated that Russian forces deliberately targeted the civilian vehicle, calling the strike a “cynical war crime.” 

Local authorities have declared 17 to 19 May as days of mourning. Bilopillia mayor Yurii Zarko referred to 17 May as a “black Saturday” in the town’s history.

In a broadcast on Suspilne, Zarko stated:

“In this bus, people were evacuating. Outside the town, the bus was hit by a Lancet. A reconnaissance drone guided it. We now have nine dead and five injured (seven, according to the latest update, – Ed.). They were treated on site and taken to a hospital in Sumy. We’re currently retrieving the bodies. Some of their identities have not yet been established. The majority are pension-age women, and 2–3 men also died.”

Ongoing Russian attacks in Sumy Oblast

Between the mornings of 16 and 17 May, Russian forces carried out 85 strikes on 31 populated areas in 13 territorial communities across Sumy Oblast. The Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported the use of 10 guided aerial bombs, 20 multiple rocket launcher strikes, and 10 dropped grenades from drones. The heaviest attacks were recorded in Sumy, Konotop, and Shostka districts.

Earlier similar attack in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

On 23 April 2025, a similar drone attack by Russian forces killed nine people in a bus near the town of Marhanets in Nikopol district, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The bus was used to transport workers to a local enterprise and was carrying about 35 passengers when it was hit. Marhanets, like Bilopillia, is located close to Russian-controlled territory, making it vulnerable to such attacks.

Russia targets Ukrainian civilians on Istanbul “ceasefire” talks day, killing four, injuring 30