The Russian Federation is continuing its systematic campaign of terror against the civilian population in Ukraine’s border regions, demonstrating a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law. Over the past 24 hours, Russian occupation forces launched a massive series of strikes across the Sumy region. In total, 33 separate shellings were recorded, targeting 23 different settlements. The consequences of these relentless attacks have been devastating for local residents, leaving 23 civilians with injuries of varying severity, the National Police of Ukraine officially reported on Saturday.
The regional capital, Sumy, bore the brunt of the assault. A coordinated strike involving combat drones directly targeted densely populated residential neighborhoods, resulting in injuries to 17 people. Among the victims are a 14-year-old teenager, three men, and 13 women of various ages. The drone attacks caused extensive damage to the city’s civilian infrastructure. Law enforcement officials documented the destruction of at least 12 multi-story apartment buildings, a private residence, and a local kindergarten. Additionally, ten civilian vehicles were severely damaged, and the blast waves shattered windows at a nearby commercial enterprise.
The city of Konotop also found itself in the crosshairs of Russian forces. Enemy strikes there left four civilians wounded, including two women aged 52 and 60, and two men aged 30 and 37. The scale of destruction in Konotop highlights the indiscriminate nature of the attacks. Numerous multi-story residential buildings, commercial spaces, retail stores, a financial institution, and a medical facility were damaged. The strikes also disrupted essential engineering and utility networks, complicating the city’s daily operations.
Smaller towns and villages along the border were similarly targeted. In Seredyna-Buda, a 55-year-old woman was injured, and a private residential home was completely destroyed by incoming fire. In the village of Krovne, located in the Sumy district, a 46-year-old man sustained injuries, and a freight vehicle was heavily damaged. Meanwhile, in the city of Romny, Russian forces aimed at critical infrastructure, damaging the electrical equipment of a local power substation.
This aggressive tactic is not isolated to the north. Concurrently, southern Ukraine faced similar assaults, with Russian UAVs striking residential areas and causing fires in Odesa during a coordinated night-time attack.
Emergency response teams, explosive ordnance disposal units, and police investigative groups are working tirelessly at the sites of the attacks across the Sumy region. Law enforcement officers are carefully documenting the aftermath of these strikes to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable. Criminal proceedings have been initiated for every instance of these attacks under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which classifies these actions as war crimes and violations of the laws and customs of war.