War

Driver hospitalized as Russian strike destroys trolleybus in Sumy Oblast

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A light-blue and white trolleybus with all its windows shattered is engulfed in flames
A trolleybus is destroyed following Russian guided bomb strikes near the city of Sumy on June 22, 2026. (Oleh Hryhorov/Telegram)

A Russian guided bomb strike on June 22 destroyed a trolleybus near the city of Sumy, hospitalizing the driver who was inside the empty vehicle and injuring two others, authorities reported.

"The 57-year-old man was alone in the vehicle. After the explosion, he suffered serious injuries. The victim was promptly taken to the hospital," Sumy Oblast Governor Oleh Hryhorov said in a Telegram post.

"Doctors carried out resuscitation measures and are now fighting for his life," Hryhorov reported.

Sumy and other cities near Russia and Russian-occupied territories often come under fire from guided bombs, drones, and missiles.

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Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)

Russia regularly conducts fatal strikes on civilian infrastructure in cities across Ukraine as it continues to wage its war.

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 10 people and injured 48 others over the span of a day, authorities reported on June 22.

A Russian drone struck a Sumy Oblast home, killing a 13-year-old boy, his 36-year-old father, and his 73-year-old grandmother.

The same attack injured a 10-year-old boy, while the boy's 31-year-old mother and a 13-year-old sister remained in critical condition, local authorities said.

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Volodymyr Ivanyshyn

News Editor

Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.

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