Russia’s strike on Sumy apartment building kills nine civilians

Drone attack on Sumy: fatalities reported

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address in the evening that the death toll from the Russian attack had risen to 9, and that a child was among the 30 injured.

“This is already a typical Russian style — to destroy the lives of many families, an entire house. And every such Russian attack requires a response from the world — terror cannot be left unpunished. The most effective way is to support our people and our state. We must keep up the pressure on Russia and not give in to Moscow's manipulations, whether political or in the media. We need to force Russia to peace. Only Russia is the cause of the war,” he said.

Earlier, Vyacheslav Ryabchenko, a deputy of the Sumy District Council and a volunteer, told Espreso that the body of the eighth dead person had been unblocked from the rubble.

“The information about the victims in Sumy has changed, at 6:20 p.m. they reported the eighth dead person who was taken out of the rubble,” he said.

According to him, the rescue operation was supposed to be completed by 4 p.m. at the latest, but as of now it is still ongoing.

“13 people were injured, an 18-year-old boy is in a serious condition in the hospital. About 120 families have been evacuated from the damaged building and provided with temporary accommodation,” Ryabchenko said.

According to him, three floors of the building were destroyed, and many windows were smashed. The commission will inspect the building.

In turn, Sumy Regional Military Administration informed that 9 apartments were destroyed, 462 windows were broken and damaged, 134 of which have already been sealed.

The State Emergency Service press service published a video showing rescuers removing the body of the eighth victim.

At 5:10 p.m., the State Emergency Service informed that the death toll had risen to 7. Rescuers unblocked the body of another person. 

The Sumy Regional Military Administration reported that as of 3:38 p.m., the number of injured had risen to 10, while the number of fatalities remained unchanged at 6.

According to the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office, as of 3:30 p.m., the bodies of another married couple were recovered from the rubble.

Thus, as a result of the Russian attack on the apartment building, six people lost their lives, specifically three married couples: a 74-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife, a 65-year-old man and his 64-year-old wife, and a 61-year-old man and his 61-year-old wife.

According to the Sumy Regional Military Administration, as of 8:00 p.m., a Russian UAV strike on a multi-story residential building resulted in four fatalities and nine injuries of varying severity, including one child.

Speaking on Espreso TV, Oleksii Kliuiev, head of Sumy’s Dobrobat, a volunteer construction battalion that helps victims in the urgent restoration of housing and social infrastructure, stated that the apartment building hit by the drone sustained significant damage, with three floors - from the 5th to the 7th - destroyed.

"The strike hit a panel building. Unfortunately, in such cases, the 'two-wall rule' does not work. The building was damaged through and through, with openings on both sides due to the attack. Rescue operations are ongoing, the State Emergency Service is working, and law enforcement is securing the site. An operational headquarters has been set up. The building is in an emergency condition, with structural elements damaged. At least part of it will no longer be habitable, and there is a risk that another section may collapse. The perimeter has been cordoned off, and unauthorized persons are not allowed near the site. Residents spent the night in designated shelters. Access to the surviving part of the building remains possible, particularly in the damaged 2nd and 3rd blocks. People are also allowed into the 4th and 5th blocks to collect their belongings and documents," Kliuiev said.

He added that this is a crime against civilians, and relevant authorities will document the deaths. Commissions will assess the damage to each apartment, and efforts will be made to ensure the victims receive compensation.

Shahed drone strikes residential building at midnight

Acting Mayor Artem Kobzar reported that a drone struck a multi-story apartment building.

"Another Shahed strike on an apartment building. Walls are broken, a woman is screaming, 'Help!' An ambulance is on site, and emergency services are working. Further information will be provided," he said in a video published at 12:33 a.m.

At 1:02 a.m., the Sumy Regional Military Administration reported that, according to preliminary information, one person had been killed in the Russian attack. A rescue operation was underway at the impact site.

Later, Kobzar stated that one person was also known to be injured. He added that in the morning, a crisis response headquarters would begin work to address the aftermath of the emergency.

At 1:38 a.m., Kobzar reported that emergency workers were rescuing a woman trapped under debris.

"She was pinned by a concrete slab and is hanging head-down inside the building," he added.

Shortly after, at 1:52 a.m., Sumy Regional Governor Volodymyr Artiukh provided an update, stating that three people were injured, including a child.

"Evacuation efforts are ongoing, all relevant services are working, providing assistance, and clearing debris to free those trapped," Artiukh said.

At 1:38 a.m., the Sumy City Council clarified that the report of a fatality had not been confirmed. They also updated the number of injured to four, including a 7-year-old child and an 18-year-old young man, the latter in critical condition. All the injured were hospitalized.

At 3:14 a.m., Sumy regional police reported that the number of injured had risen to seven. A ten-story residential building was damaged.

As of around 6 a.m., according to the State Emergency Service, the number of injured in Sumy has risen to nine. Rescuers managed to save four people, including one child, and evacuated 118 residents.

Preliminary reports indicate that the attack destroyed nine apartments and 12 balconies. A mobile resilience center has been set up, with psychologists and medics from the emergency services assisting on-site. Two canine search teams have also been deployed.

Later, rescuers reported that they had recovered the bodies of two people - a man and a woman - from the rubble.

Consequences in Odesa Region

The head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, reported that at dawn, Russia attacked the Izmail district with strike drones.

As a result of the attack, two private residential houses, a grain warehouse, and several cars were damaged. The district hospital was also affected, with shattered windows and damage to the facade and ceiling.

According to Kiper, there were no casualties or injuries from the attack.

Drone explosion rocks outskirts of Chernihiv

At 8:15 p.m., the Head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, Dmytro Bryzhynskyi, reported that Russian troops had once again launched a Shahed drone attack, with an explosion recorded on the outskirts of the city.

He later clarified that the drone explosion caused a fire in two non-residential buildings.

"There are no casualties among the population. Emergency services are working at the site," the head of the military administration noted.

Later, the National Police of Ukraine reported that, as a result of the Russian attack on the outskirts of Chernihiv, local residents' summer houses were damaged and destroyed.

Stable destroyed in Poltava district

The Poltava Regional Military Administration reported that a Geran-2 drone crash resulted in the destruction of a stable in the Poltava district.

“There were no human casualties. Information on damages is being clarified. No destruction of civilian or critical infrastructure has been recorded,” the statement says.

Air defense active in Kyiv region

At 2:08 a.m., the Kyiv Regional Military Administration reported that Russian drones had been detected in the region, with air defense systems engaging them.

Soon after, Suspilne informed that explosions were also heard in Kyiv.