Two consecutive Russian attacks on a medical center in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy resulted in the tragic loss of at least nine lives on Saturday morning. The first strike claimed the life of one individual, and a second attack occurred while patients and staff were evacuating the premises, according to Ukraine’s Interior Minister.
Local officials in Sumy reported that Shahed drones were utilized in the assault, which also left twelve other individuals wounded. Sumy, located approximately 20 miles from Russia’s Kursk region, has been a focal point for Ukrainian troops since early August in an effort to divert Russian military attention from the main front line in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s air force successfully intercepted 69 out of 73 Russian drones launched overnight, as well as two out of four missiles. Additionally, around 15 drones were shot down over the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and its surrounding areas. In Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, local authorities confirmed the discovery of a man’s body under the rubble of an administrative building struck by a Russian missile on Friday, bringing the death toll from that incident to four.
Meanwhile, in Russia, the Defense Ministry announced that their air defenses had downed four Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod region and one over the Kursk region, both bordering Ukraine. Tragically, one individual lost their life in Ukrainian shelling of the Russian border city of Shebekino on Saturday, with two others sustaining injuries.
These recent events underscore the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. The situation remains fluid, and tensions continue to escalate on both sides. The international community closely monitors developments in the region as efforts to de-escalate the conflict persist.
For more updates on the war in Ukraine, visit AP’s coverage.
