A bus evacuating civilians was attacked by Russian forces on the morning of Saturday 17 May in Sumy Oblast, killing nine people.

Source: Yurii Zarko, head of the Bilopillia hromada, on Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]

Details: A day of mourning has been declared in the town of Bilopillia from 17 to 19 May. Zarko described 17 May as a "black Saturday" in the town's history.

Quote from Zarko: "The passengers on the bus were evacuating when it was struck outside the town by a Lancet [loitering munition], guided by a reconnaissance drone.

Nine civilians are known to have been killed and five injured. The people injured in the attack have received medical aid on the spot and were sent to hospital in Sumy. We're now transporting the bodies of the dead.

Some of them have not yet been identified. Most are women of retirement age, with two to three men also among the dead."

Background: Russian forces struck a bus near Bilopillia in Sumy Oblast with a Lancet loitering munition, killing nine people and injuring four others.

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