Explosions rock Sumy, Kharkiv

Explosions rocked Sumy and Kharkiv on the afternoon of May 12, as reported by Ukraine’s Air Force and a Kyiv Independent journalist on the ground in Kharkiv.

A Kyiv Independent correspondent heard explosions in Kharkiv at around 4:15 p.m. An hour before, the Air Force reported a missile attack on Sumy, located next to Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine, minutes after an alert was announced in the region.

So far, there are no details on casualties.

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed earlier reports on May 10 that Russia was carrying out new offensive operations in Kharkiv Oblast, with fighting reported on the Ukraine-Russia border, 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the city of Kharkiv.

Russian forces struck 10 communities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast in 21 separate attacks throughout the day, the regional administration reported on May 11

A missile attack against the outskirts of the city of Sumy killed a woman aged around 37 on May 11, the regional military administration reported. The strike was aimed against local infrastructure, officials said without providing further details on the target or the consequences.

Syrskyi: Russia’s breakthrough attempt halted, situation in several sectors ‘changing rapidly’

“The enemy has partial success in some areas, and in others, (Ukraine’s) Defense Forces are pushing the enemy out and improving their tactical position,” Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 12.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova