Russian airstrike in downtown Sumy kills 4, including child, injures at least 20
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Editor's Note: This is a developing story.
Russia attacked a busy central street in the northeastern city of Sumy the evening of July 3, killing at least four people and injuring 22, regional authorities reported.
Three adults and one child have died, Governor Oleh Hryhorov said.
Another 22 victims have been hospitalized, with many in critical condition, according to Serhii Kryvosheienko, head of the Sumy City Military Administration. There are three minors among the injured victims, including a 16-year-old girl in serious condition.
Russia launched six guided aerial bombs in an airstrike on a residential neighborhood in central Sumy, Kryvosheienko said. The strike caused severe damage to civilian infrastructure, including several multistory apartment buildings and shops.
Hryhorov, who described the assault as "a massive attack," said there were many people at the scene, including children.
Hryhorov thanked first responders for rendering speedy assistance in the first minutes after the attack, saying many lives were saved by their actions. A rescue operation is ongoing at the site of the strike.
Later in the night, an additional round of explosions rocked Sumy, pointing to a possible "double-tap" Russian strike. The details of the follow-up blasts are not yet clear.
The city of Sumy is located around 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Russian border. The region faces daily assaults from nearby Russian forces, including artillery, drone, and guided bomb strikes.
Guided aerial bombs have a shorter range than missiles, but are cheaper to produce. They are launched from aircraft behind the front lines within Russian territory or Russian-occupied territories — beyond the reach of Ukrainian air defense.
The weapons are nearly impossible to shoot down due to their heavy iron construction and their tendency to approach at extremely fast speeds
In spring of 2026, Russia set a new record for guided bomb attacks on Ukraine, dropping 7,987 glide bombs in March alone.
