The strikes – and renewed offer from the Vatican – come hours after Moscow and Kyiv had held their first direct peace talks in years that failed to yield a ceasefire.

The Sumy Regional Military Administration reported on Telegram that at 6:17 a.m. local time Saturday, Russia launched a Lancet drone that hit a shuttle bus evacuating civilians from the city of Bilopillia. Posting images of the destroyed vehicle, Zelensky confirmed that nine people were killed, all of whom were civilians.