Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said two people were killed and six others, including three children, were injured after Russian guided aerial bombs struck the centre of Sumy on Tuesday.
Zelensky said four guided bombs hit the city, damaging a school building while classes were in session. Emergency services were deployed to the site as rescue and recovery operations continued.
According to Zelensky, teachers and students had moved into a shelter before the strikes and about 100 people were evacuated from the school.
“There was also damage in the private residential area,” Zelensky said, adding that two people had been confirmed dead.
He expressed condolences to the families of those killed and thanked the teachers and school administration for helping evacuate the children and staff.
Zelensky condemned the attack and accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians, schools and residential areas.
“America, Europe, all our partners must not forget that Russia will not stop this madness without real pressure,” Zelensky said.
He called on Ukraine’s international partners to respond to the latest strikes with concrete measures, saying that any response should go beyond what he described as “lip service”.
The Ukrainian president’s comments came as Russian strikes continued to hit areas of Ukraine amid the ongoing war between the two countries.
Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine near the Russian border, has repeatedly come under Russian attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The latest strike also highlights the continued danger faced by civilians in areas close to the frontline and border regions. Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly urged residents in vulnerable areas to follow evacuation orders and seek shelter during air-raid warnings.
Emergency crews remained at the scene in Sumy following the latest attack, while authorities assessed the extent of the damage and continued assisting those affected.
Zelensky’s account of the strike and casualties was issued as rescue operations were ongoing. The circumstances and responsibility for the attack had not been independently verified at the time of his statement.