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Jun 5, 2025  |  
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Yuri Zoria


Russian drone blows up civilian shuttle bus, leaving nine dead in Sumy border town

Bilopillia’s mayor called the strike a targeted war crime, noting that the shuttle carried fleeing civilians, mostly women over 60.
russian drone blows up civilian shuttle bus leaving nine dead sumy border town mini-bus bilopillia-sumy struck morning 17 2025 killing 9 passengers 498016779_1056136843323012_6351334390770892022_n civilians were killed seven injured early hours
Shuttle mini-bus Bilopillia-Sumy struck by Russian drone on the morning of 17 May 2025, killing 9 civilian passengers. Photo: National Police
Russian drone blows up civilian shuttle bus, leaving nine dead in Sumy border town

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.

International law strictly prohibits deliberate attacks on civilian targets. Russia’s actions in Ukraine continue to violate the Fourth Geneva Convention and the 1977 Additional Protocol, with Moscow systematically launching targeted strikes on residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and vehicles. The town of Bilopillia lies just about nine kilometers from the Russian border, making it highly vulnerable to cross-border attacks.

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.

russian drone blows up civilian shuttle bus leaving nine dead sumy border town mini-bus bilopillia-sumy struck morning 17 2025 killing 9 passengers 498683103_1056136853323011_5698586934931567216_n civilians were killed seven injured early hours
Shuttle mini-bus Bilopillia-Sumy struck by Russian drone on the morning of 17 May 2025, killing 9 civilian passengers. Photo: National Police

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.

russian drone blows up civilian shuttle bus leaving nine dead sumy border town mini-bus bilopillia-sumy struck morning 17 2025 killing 9 passengers 542b4901-9630-46de-906a-a68b397cba20 civilians were killed seven injured early hours
Shuttle mini-bus Bilopillia-Sumy struck by Russian drone on the morning of 17 May 2025, killing 9 civilian passengers. Photo: Sumy OVA

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.

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