Ukraine insists on a complete, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media, quoted by Ukrinform, BTA reports.
He added that doctors in the Dnipropetrovsk region are currently providing the necessary assistance to people injured this morning in a Russian drone strike.
"This was an extremely brutal attack - and an absolutely targeted war crime. In the city of Markhanets, the Russians hit a bus carrying workers from a mining and processing plant. An ordinary bus. Obviously a civilian object, a civilian target. Over 40 people were injured, most of them women, some received very serious wounds. Tragically, 9 people died. My condolences to their families and loved ones," Zelensky added.
According to him, such Russian drone strikes against civilians are, unfortunately, a common practice. Peaceful citizens in Kherson and the region, in Kupyansk, Pokrovsk and in the settlements of the Dnipropetrovsk region - Nikopol and Markhanets - suffer the most from this type of action, the Ukrainian leader pointed out. Such attacks are carried out practically daily.
"The Russians even boast about them, publishing recordings of strikes against civilians online. The whole world should take this seriously - if the Russians use this form of terror, other terrorists may also adopt it," Zelensky stressed.
The Ukrainian head of state noted that this is one of the reasons why Russian aggression is a global threat. War changes over time, and the longer it lasts, the more the methods of killing can be modernized.
"In Ukraine, we insist on a complete, immediate and unconditional ceasefire. This was the proposal launched by the United States on March 11 of this year – and it was absolutely reasonable. This is quite possible – but only if Russia agrees and stops the killings," the Ukrainian president stressed.
"On Easter, we managed to reduce the intensity of hostilities, and there were no signals of air strikes. Ukraine proposed to extend this truce for at least 30 days and make the ceasefire comprehensive. We are also ready for an immediate ceasefire at least for civilian targets, and we have repeatedly announced this. Preserving human life should be a common top priority for all partners," Zelensky added.
He added that the Ukrainian delegation in London had already begun its meetings. "Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it does not exclude any format that could lead to a ceasefire and ultimately to real peace. Stopping the killings is the number one task. I am grateful to everyone who is focused on this goal and is helping us move towards ending the war," Zelensky noted.
According to Ukrinform, negotiations between representatives of the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Ukraine are expected in London today. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov began a meeting in London with their British counterparts David Lamy and John Healy.