Sir Keir Starmer and fellow European leaders have spoken to Donald Trump about a Ukraine ceasefire and further sanctions on Russia, ahead of the US president’s upcoming call to Vladimir Putin.
After peace talks in Istanbul ended without progress on Friday, Mr Trump announced he would speak to Mr Putin on Monday, followed by Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato leaders, in what could be a pivotal set of conversations after months of stalled attempts.
Vowing to try and “stop the bloodbath”, the US president said: “Hopefully it will be a productive day. A ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end.”
In a boost for Kyiv, Downing Street said Sir Keir Starmer – along with France’s Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Germany’s Friedrich Merz – spoke to Mr Trump on Sunday night ahead of the US president’s call to Moscow.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “The leaders discussed the need for an unconditional ceasefire and for President Putin to take peace talks seriously.
“They also discussed the use of sanctions if Russia failed to engage seriously in a ceasefire and peace talks. The leaders looked forward to speaking again soon.”
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Key Points
- Starmer and European leaders talk to Trump ahead of crucial Putin call
- Volodymyr Zelensky meets JD Vance on sidelines of Pope's inauguration
- Trump confirms phone calls with Putin and Zelensky to take place on Monday
- Nine killed in Russian attack on Ukrainian civilian bus
Starmer discussed Ukraine war with Trump, Macron, Meloni and Merz
23:40
,
Andy Gregory
Sir Keir Starmer has held a phone call with Donald Trump and other European leaders ahead of the US president’s call with Vladimir Putin tomorrow about Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Downing Street said Sir Keir and Mr Trump – along with France’s Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Germany’s Friedrich Merz – discussed “the situation in Ukraine, and the catastrophic cost of the war to both sides”.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “Looking ahead to President Trump’s call with President Putin tomorrow, the leaders discussed the need for an unconditional ceasefire and for President Putin to take peace talks seriously.
“They also discussed the use of sanctions if Russia failed to engage seriously in a ceasefire and peace talks. The leaders looked forward to speaking again soon.”
Mr Trump had initially announced that he would speak to Mr Putin on Monday and follow that discussion up with calls to Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato allies, but Western leaders said on Sunday they were pushing to speak to the US president prior to his call to Moscow.
Russia has detained a Greek-owned tanker in Baltic Sea, says Estonia
23:01
,
Andy Gregory
Russia has detained a Greek-owned oil tanker today after it left an Estonian Baltic Sea port, the Estonian foreign ministry has said.
Estonia said it had alerted Nato allies to the incident, adding that the Liberia-flagged ship Green Admire had been leaving Sillamae port using a designated navigation channel that crosses Russian territorial waters. It left the port at 6:40pm GMT and by Sunday afternoon was anchored near Russia’s Hogland island, according to the Marine Traffic website.
The ship was bound for Rotterdam with a load of Estonia's shale oil, said the Estonian Transport Administration. The navigation channel out of Sillamae through Russian territorial waters has been set up under an agreement between Estonia, Finland and Russia to avoid shallows in the Estonian waters, the administration said.
“Today’s incident shows that Russia continues to behave unpredictably,” said foreign minister Margus Tsahkna. “I have also informed our Allies of the event.”
On Thursday, Estonia said Russia had sent a fighter jet into Nato airspace over the Baltic Sea after an attempt to stop a Russia-bound tanker thought to be part of a so-called “shadow fleet” used by Moscow to evade sanctions.
Estonia's PM urges Trump to threaten Putin with sanctions in Monday call
22:03
,
Andy Gregory
Estonia’s prime minister Kristen Michal has expressed hope that Donald Trump will raise the threat of fresh sanctions in his phone call with Vladimir Putin on Monday.
“I hope that he will continue this line, that the pressure is mounting,” Mr Michal said in an interview with Reuters.
Estonian PM vows to keep up checks on Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’
21:06
,
Reuters
Estonia will keep checking Russian “shadow fleet” vessels, prime minister Kristen Michal has vowed, days after Russia deployed a Su-35 fighter jet as Estonia attempted to alter the course of one such ship.
Estonia said the jet briefly breached Nato airspace during the Baltic country's attempt to inspect a Russian-bound oil tanker, thought to be part of a so-called shadow fleet defying Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Last week's incident “doesn't change a thing”, with Estonia determined to continue checking suspicious tankers, Mr Michal told Reuters on Sunday.
“I would say that everybody – Estonians, Finns – will be monitoring these kind of ships, and if there’s something suspicious we will ask about it. Everybody will do that,” he said.
Mr Michal said the Estonian Navy had no plans to board the suspect tanker, which then sailed into Russian waters, escorted by the Su-35 and an Estonian patrol boat. Estonia detained another shadow fleet tanker, Kiwala, in April.
Russia receives an estimated 60 per cent of its oil revenues via shipments by the “shadow fleet” to buyers in countries such as China and India, according to Estonian estimates.
At least one person killed in Russia's largest drone strike of war
20:11
,
Andy Gregory
After a night of air alerts, Ukraine's air force said that – as of 8am – Russia had launched 273 drones at Ukrainian cities, more than the previous record Moscow had set in February on the war’s third anniversary.
In the ruins of her family home in the Obukhiv region west of Kyiv, Natalia Piven, 44, told Reuters of how she squeezed into a cellar with her son after an air raid warning, just in time to survive a first wave of drones.
They then ran out to a bomb shelter at a kindergarten, before another wave of drones bore down on the village. Their house was completely destroyed.
A 28-year-old woman who lived next door was killed. Ukrainian authorities said three other people were injured including a four-year-old child.
“I cannot get over it. I simply cannot. I could clearly hear the drone flying right towards my house,” Ms Piven said.
Zelensky says he had ‘good’ meeting with JD Vance
19:21
,
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a “good” meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio and vice president JD Vance, in their first encounter since the infamous Oval Office clash earlier this year.
The Ukrainian president released pictures of Kyiv and Washington officials sitting outside at a round table and smiling. Ukrainian media said the meeting lasted 40 minutes.
“I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible,” Mr Zelensky said.
Ursula Von der Leyen discusses Ukraine with JD Vance
18:25
,
Andy Gregory
Ursula von der Leyen has said she wanted to discuss Ukraine with JD Vance, as the EU Commission chief and US vice president met to talk tariffs after attending Pope Leo’s inaugural Mass
With Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni also present, Mr Vance said: “Europe is an important ally of the United States ... but, of course, we have some disagreements, as friends sometimes do, on issues like trade.”
He added: “I think we’ll have a great conversation, and hopefully it will be the beginning of some long-term trade negotiations and some long-term trade advantages between both Europe and the United States.”
Noting that the trade relationship between the EU and US was the largest in the world and worth more than $1.5trn a year, Ms von der Leyen said the two sides had exchanged negotiating documents outlining the various areas of future discussion.
“Everybody knows that the devil is in the detail, but what unites us is that at the end, we want together to have a good deal for both sides,” the EU Commission chief said, adding that she also wanted to talk to Mr Vance about Ukraine and defence spending.
Full report: Zelensky and Vance shake hands in first meeting since Oval Office clash
17:36
,
Andy Gregory
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and US vice president JD Vance were seen shaking hands at the inauguration of new Pope Leo XIV on Sunday.
It was the first meeting of the pair following the infamous White House clash earlier this year, which saw President Zelensky leaving after a shouting match with Donald Trump and Mr Vance.
The pair smiled as they shook hands in the brief exchange. Mr Zelensky later met with Mr Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the mass, a source in the Ukrainian delegation told Reuters.
Our correspondent Rebecca Thomas has the full report:
At least 70 combat clashes reported along front line so far on Sunday
16:45
,
Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s military has reported another day of heavy fighting along the front line, with at least 70 clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces reported so far.
Once again, the heaviest fighting was in the direction of Pokrovsk, according to Ukraine’s military, with Vladimir Putin’s forces making 25 attempts to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions in settlements near the Donetsk city, which has been central in Moscow’s sights for months now.
In its daily update, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said Ukrainian troops had already repelled 22 attacks on the Povkrovsk axis, with three more confrontations ongoing.
Watch: Russia's 'largest drone attack' on Ukraine leaves trail of destruction in Kyiv region
15:59
,
Andy Gregory
Four European leaders aim to speak with Trump before his call with Putin, Merz says
15:36
,
Andy Gregory
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that he, Sir Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Poland’s Donald Tusk are aiming to speak with Donald Trump ahead of the US president’s planned call with Vladimir Putin tomorrow.
Mr Merz said he had discussed the issue with US secretary of state Marco Rubio while the two men were attending the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican. Mr Merz said he also spoke at length at the Vatican with Ukraine’s [resident Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“I spoke with Marco Rubio, including about the call tomorrow. We agreed that we will speak again with the four state leaders and the US president in preparation of this conversation,” the German chancellor told reporters.
Zelensky ready for ‘talks in any format’ after Vatican offers to host
15:16
,
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky said he met Pope Leo following the new pontiff’s inaugural Mass at the Vatican, adding that Kyiv was ready for talks in any format to get real results in ending the war with Russia.
The Ukrainian president said on Telegram that he was grateful to the Vatican for its readiness to host direct talks between Ukraine and Russia and “for its clear voice to defend just and lasting peace”.
Zelensky holds meeting with the new Pope after inauguration
14:53
,
Sam Rkaina
Zelensky meets with Vance and Rubio on sidelines of Pope inauguration
14:52
,
Sam Rkaina
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and US vice president JD Vance met on the sidelines of the Pope’s inauguration, Kyiv officials have said.
Earlier today they were seeing shaking hands, in their first encounter since the infamous White House clash earlier this year, which saw President Zelensky leaving after a shouting match with Donald Trump and Mr Vance.
The pair smiled as they shook hands in the brief exchange. Mr Zelensky later met with Mr Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the mass, a source in the Ukrainian delegation told Reuters.
Both Mr Vance and Mr Rubio are Catholics, though the former clashed with the late Pope Francis over the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies.
Split over sanctions
14:50
,
Sam Rkaina
Russia wants western sanctions lifted but is sceptical that they will be lifted soon.
Even if the U.S. lifted sanctions, EU and other Western sanctions - such as those imposed by Australia, Britain, Canada and Japan - could remain for years to come.
Ukraine wants the sanctions to remain in place.
Reuters has reported that the U.S. government is studying ways it could ease sanctions on Russia's energy sector as part of a broad plan to enable Washington to deliver swift relief if Moscow agrees to end the Ukraine war.
Territorial claims
14:25
,
Sam Rkaina
Moscow controls about a fifth of Ukraine and says the territory is now formally part of Russia, a position most countries do not accept.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Russian forces control almost all of Luhansk, and more than 70% of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, according to Russian estimates. Russia also controls a sliver of Kharkiv region.
In Putin's most detailed public proposals for peace, outlined in June 2024, he said Ukraine would have to withdraw from the entirety of those regions - so even from areas not currently under Russian control. His negotiators restated those demands in the May 16 Istanbul talks, the Ukrainian source said.
According to Alexander Kots, a war correspondent for Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper, the negotiators also told their Ukrainian counterparts that Kyiv would need to drop all claims to the four regions and Crimea.
Under a draft peace plan crafted by the Trump administration, the U.S. would de jure recognise Russian control of Crimea, and de facto recognise Russian control of Luhansk and parts of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kherson.
Russia plans to launch intercontinental ballistic missile on Sunday, Kyiv says
14:21
,
Sam Rkaina
Kyiv’s military intelligence agency said Russia was planning to conduct a "training and combat" launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile late on Sunday to intimidate Ukraine and the West.
The GUR agency said in a statement on the Telegram app that the launch was ordered to be implemented from Russia's Sverdlovsk region, adding that the flight range for the missile was more than 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles).
NATO and neutrality
13:48
,
Sam Rkaina
Russia has repeatedly said that possible NATO membership for Kyiv was a cause of the war, is unacceptable and that Ukraine must be neutral - with no foreign bases. Zelenskiy has said it is not for Moscow to decide Ukraine's alliances.
At the 2008 Bucharest summit, NATO leaders agreed that Ukraine and Georgia would one day become members. Ukraine in 2019 amended its constitution, committing to the path of full membership of NATO and the European Union.
U.S. envoy General Keith Kellogg has said NATO membership for Ukraine is "off the table". Trump has said past U.S. support for Ukraine's membership of NATO was a cause of the war.
In 2022, Ukraine and Russia discussed permanent neutrality. Russia wanted limits on the Ukrainian military, according to a copy of a potential agreement reviewed by Reuters. Ukraine staunchly opposes the idea of curbs to the size and capabilities of its armed forces.
Russia has said it has no objections to Ukraine seeking EU membership, though some members of the bloc could oppose Kyiv's bid.
The challenges for peace: Security
13:15
,
Sam Rkaina
Donald Trump has said he will be speaking to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine on Monday about stopping the 'bloodbath' in Ukraine.
What are the challenges the U.S. president faces in his drive for a peace deal?
SECURITY GUARANTEES
Ukraine, which was subject to a full-scale invasion in 2022 and saw Russia annex Crimea in 2014, says it needs security guarantees from the major powers - primarily the United States.
The problem, say sources involved in the discussions, is that any security guarantee that has teeth would lock the West into a potential future war with Russia - and any security deal without teeth would leave Ukraine exposed.
Under draft proposals for a possible peace settlement seen by Reuters, diplomats spoke of a "robust security guarantee", including possibly an Article 5-like agreement.
Article 5 of the NATO treaty commits allies to defend each other in the event of an attack, though Ukraine is not a member of the alliance.
A failed 2022 deal proposed permanent neutrality for Ukraine in return for security guarantees from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, and other nations including Belarus, Canada, Germany, Israel, Poland and Turkey, according to a draft seen by Reuters.
Officials in Kyiv say agreeing to Ukrainian neutrality is a red line they will not cross.
Inside ex-Tory minister’s mission to Ukraine
12:41
,
Sam Rkaina
Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer has said the spirit of ex-soldiers in Ukraine was ‘remarkable’ after he paid a visit to Kyiv to support fellow veterans.
Mr Mercer was on a visit to help the veterans ministry and charities set up a platform to offer work and health services to the country’s war veterans.
While there are currently 1.2 million veterans in Ukraine, after the war it’s believed there will be up to six million.
Reporter Alex Ross spoke to Mr Mercer about his trip - and how a drone landed near his hotel during his stay - you can read more here.
Pope Leo to meet Ukraine's Zelenskiy on Sunday, Vatican says
11:56
,
Sam Rkaina
Pope Leo will have a private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later on Sunday following the pope's inaugural Mass, the Vatican said.
Leo spoke with Zelenskiy on Monday in the first known conversation between the newly-elected pontiff and a foreign leader, underscoring his concern for the war in Ukraine.
Speaking moments after Sunday's Mass, Leo mentioned the "martyred" Ukraine and called for a "just and lasting peace".
Vance and Zelensky reunited at Pope's mass
11:31
,
Sam Rkaina
US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been reunited, at the inaugural mass for the new Pope.
Mr Vance, a Catholic convert who clashed with Pope Leo’s predecessor Francis over the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies, led a US delegation alongside secretary of state Marco Rubio, who is also Catholic, at the mass on Sunday.
Mr Zelensky is also in attendance, alongside his wife Olena Zelenska, his chief adviser Andriy Yermak and foreign minister Andriy Sybiha.
Mr Zelensky’s spokesperson suggested they were open to further peace talks in Rome after the ceremony, following the success of the Ukrainian president’s impromptu meeting with Donald Trump at Pope Francis’ funeral.
Mr Zelensky and Mr Vance were seen greeting one another in the run-up to the ceremony. The pair smiled as they shook hands just a few months after they were locked in a fiery exchange in the White House, when Mr Vance accused Mr Zelensky of being ungrateful for American support for Ukraine.
Kremlin says Putin could meet Zelensky if certain agreements are reached
09:00
,
Shweta Sharma
After the first direct peace talks in Turkey, the Kremlin said on Russian president Vladimir Putin could meet Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but only if certain agreements were reached.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not specify what agreements would be required from Russia's point of view. Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky have not met since December 2019.
President Zelensky had challenged the Kremlin leader to meet him in Turkey this week but Mr Putin instead sent a team of aides and officials to meet Ukrainian negotiators on Friday for the first bilateral, face-to-face talks since March 2022.
Ukraine said it had raised the issue of a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting at the talks.
Mr Peskov said Russia considered such a meeting was possible, but only as a result of work between the two sides to "achieve certain results in the form of agreements".
He added: "At the same time, when signing documents that the delegations are to agree upon, the main and fundamental thing for us remains who exactly will sign these documents from the Ukrainian side."
Mr Peskov did not elaborate on that remark.
Russia launches record drone barrage on Ukraine since start of war, killing at least 1
08:30
,
Shweta Sharma
Russia launched one of its most intense drone attacks on Ukraine overnight into Sunday, since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022.
According to Ukraine's air force, Russia fired a total of 273 explosive drones and decoys. Of these, 88 were intercepted, while a further 128 were likely lost due to electronic jamming.
The attacks targeted the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions.
Kyiv regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said a 28-year-old woman was killed in a drone strike, and three others –including a four-year-old child – were wounded.
The number of drones fired exceeds Russia’s previously known largest single drone attack during the war, when 267 drones were launched on the eve of the invasion's third anniversary.
The barrage came after the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years, held on Friday, failed to produce a ceasefire.
One killed in Kyiv region as Russia steps up attacks after peace talks, Ukraine says
08:30
,
Shweta Sharma
After a night of sustained Russian drone attacks, a woman was killed in the capital region and three, including a child, were injured.
"Unfortunately, as a result of the enemy attack in the Obukhiv district, a woman died from her injuries," Mykola Kalashnik, governor of the Kyiv region, posted on the Telegram messaging app.
As of 0300 GMT, Kyiv, the region around it and most of the eastern half of Ukraine had been under air raid alerts for six hours.
Several killed after Russian strike hits civilian bus in Ukraine's Sumy region
The military said on Telegram that air defence units were engaged several times, trying to repel attacks.
Ukraine has accused Russia of stepping up its attacks following peace talks on Friday.
The first direct talks in three years between Russia and Ukraine on Friday failed to broker the ceasefire Kyiv and its allies have been urging in the more than three-year-old war.
"It's been a tough night. The Russians have always used war and attacks to intimidate everyone in negotiations," Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation, said on Telegram about Sunday's attack.
On Saturday, a Russian drone attack killed nine civilians after hitting a shuttle bus in the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, Kyiv said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack "deliberate" and urged stronger sanctions on Moscow, which said it had attacked a military facility.
Senior Ukrainian official accuses Russia of making unacceptable demands at peace talks in Turkey
08:00
,
Shweta Sharma
A senior Ukrainian official at the peace talks in Istanbul accused Moscow on Friday of introducing “unacceptable demands” that had not been previously discussed, including calls for Kyiv's forces to withdraw from large swaths of territory they control in order for a complete ceasefire to be implemented.
The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to make official statements, said it seemed as if the Russian delegation "deliberately wants to throw nonstarters on the table in order to walk away from today’s meeting without any results".
He said the Ukrainian side reiterated that it remained focused on achieving real progress – an immediate ceasefire and a pathway to substantive diplomacy – “just like the US, European partners, and other countries proposed", the official added.
Watch: Devastating aftermath of Russian strike on civilian bus
07:30
,
Shweta Sharma
A video has captured the devastating aftermath of a Russian attack on a civilian bus in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region.
A drone killed nine people, Ukrainian officials said, hours after Moscow and Kyiv had held their first direct peace talks in years, which failed to secure a ceasefire.
The video shows the bus was reduced to a twisted heap of metal in the strike.
In Focus | The terrifying reality of Ukraine’s landmine crisis
07:00
,
Andy Gregory
Ukraine is the most mine-contaminated country in the world, with an estimated 23 per cent of its land littered with explosive devices.
According to the country’s National Mine Action Authority, an estimated 340 civilians have been killed by exploding landmines since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, with another 1,195 people injured by.
Our reporter Bryony Gooch speaks to two survivors who have lived through that pain, and don’t want anyone else to have to experience it:
Rubio speaks with Lavrov ahead of Trump’s call to Putin
06:30
US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov spoke with each other on Saturday, the Department of State said.
During the call, Mr Rubio welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement reached during recent talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey, the department's spokesperson said.
The secretary also emphasised US president Donald Trump's call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence in Russia's war in Ukraine, according the department.
“In my phone call today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, I reiterated @POTUS's message: the death and destruction must stop,” he said.
In my phone call today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, I reiterated @POTUS's message: the death and destruction must stop. The U.S. has presented a strong peace plan and we welcome the Prisoner of War exchange agreement reached in Istanbul. Let's not miss this huge…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 17, 2025
Full report: UK condemns Russian drone strike that left nine dead in Ukraine
06:00
,
Andy Gregory
The UK has condemned a Russian drone attack that killed nine people in Ukraine early on Saturday.
The attack, which struck a passenger bus in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy region, came just hours after the first face-to-face talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey.
Foreign secretary David Lammy said he was “appalled” by the incident, adding in a post on social media: “If Putin is serious about peace, Russia must agree to a full and immediate ceasefire, as Ukraine has done.”
Regional authorities described the attack as “another war crime by Russia” and declared a period of mourning until Monday.
Christopher McKeon has the full report:
One killed in Kyiv region as Russia steps up attacks after peace talks, Ukraine says
05:35
,
Shweta Sharma
After a night of sustained Russian drone attacks, a woman was killed in the capital region and three, including a child, were injured.
"Unfortunately, as a result of the enemy attack in the Obukhiv district, a woman died from her injuries," Mykola Kalashnik, governor of the Kyiv region, posted on the Telegram messaging app.
As of 0300 GMT, Kyiv, the region around it and most of the eastern half of Ukraine had been under air raid alerts for six hours.
The military said on Telegram that air defence units were engaged several times, trying to repel attacks.
Ukraine has accused Russia of stepping up its attacks following peace talks on Friday.
The first direct talks in three years between Russia and Ukraine on Friday failed to broker the ceasefire Kyiv and its allies have been urging in the more than three-year-old war.
"It's been a tough night. The Russians have always used war and attacks to intimidate everyone in negotiations," Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation, said on Telegram about Sunday's attack.
On Saturday, a Russian drone attack killed nine civilians after hitting a shuttle bus in the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, Kyiv said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack "deliberate" and urged stronger sanctions on Moscow, which said it had attacked a military facility.
Ukraine begins preparation for largest prisoner exchange discussed in talks
05:30
,
Shweta Sharma
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has begun preparation for a prisoner exchange with Russia agreed in the first direct talks between the two countries since 2022 in Turkey.
The talks in Istanbul on Friday ended after less than two hours without a ceasefire, although both sides agreed on exchange of 1,000 PoWs each, according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their biggest such swap.
