A Russian missile attack early Tuesday morning, March 25, hit a densely populated district in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, injuring at least 88 people, including 17 children, as ceasefire talks continued.
Regional governor Volodymyr Artiukh, who provided the updated casualty count on national television, noted that more children avoided injury as they had been evacuated to air raid shelters.
“They were in a densely populated area struck by the enemy attack.
“Two schools were within the impact zone. I was there when our rescuers cleared the locations where the children were. They were in protective structures. All the children were rescued and taken to safety,” Artiukh said.
Reports indicate that several high-rise residential buildings in the city centre were also damaged.
Earlier, Artiukh appeared in a video filmed at the scene, showing heavy black smoke, fires, and a car with shattered windows in the background.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack in a video address, calling it another example of the suffering and destruction Ukraine has endured.
The strike occurred as Russian and US officials met in Saudi Arabia to discuss a potential ceasefire.
Zelenskyy stated that Russia was the sole force prolonging the war, causing suffering to its own people and the world.
“To bring Russia to peace, strong measures and decisive actions are needed. We are ready to support every strong initiative that makes diplomacy more effective,” he said.
