'Massive' Russian attack in Sumy Oblast kills 3, injures 2
Editor's Note: This is a developing story.
"Massive" Russian drone and guided bomb strikes on Sumy Oblast beginning the evening of Oct. 8 have already left three dead and two injured, Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported.
A series of "massive enemy strikes" targeted rural communities in the region, causing casualties and destroying civilian infrastructure, Hryhorov said the night of Oct. 8, shortly before midnight local time.
Russian guided aerial bombs and attack drones targeted the communities of Stepanivka, Mykolaivka, Velyka Pysarivka, Bilopillia, Komyshanka, and Sumy, killing three people and injuring two others.
The attacks killed a 40-year-old man in Mykolaivka, a 65-year-old man in Velyka Pysarivka, and a 66-year-old man in Bilopillia.
A 47-year-old Stepanivka resident and a 52-year-old in Sumy were injured in the attack.
The attacks have also caused destruction and damage to civilian infrastructure, Hryhorov said. The volume of drones has overwhelmed Ukrainian air defense units, who have not been able to intercept all the incoming UAVs.
An aerial alert is still active in the region and Russia continues to target Sumy Oblast with drones. Explosions have been reported in the regional capital of Sumy, with Acting Mayor Artem Kobzar urging residents to take shelter.
The border villages in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast are subject to waves of Russian attacks on a daily basis. The relentless strikes have triggered mandatory evacuations in hundreds of communities.
As Ukraine heads into autumn, Russia has once again intensified assaults on energy infrastructure, including launching a large-scale attack on Oct. 3 that targeted the country's oil and gas facilities.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
