Russia shelled the town of Bilopillia in Sumy Oblast on the evening of June 18, killing a man and his four-year-old son, the regional prosecutor's office reported.
"The Russian terrorists cynically use weapons against civilians since they have long lost all sense of humanity," Volodymyr Artiukh, governor of Sumy Oblast, said.
According to Bilopillia Mayor Yuriy Zarko, the father and son were running to a bomb shelter when a Russian shell exploded three meters away from them.
"The father died on the spot, and the child died in the arms (of the medical staff) on the way to a hospital,” Zarko said in his comment to Suspilne television.
The mayor added that the tragedy happened around 4.20 p.m. local time.
During the night and morning of June 18, the Russian military shelled the border areas of Sumy Oblast 12 times.
In total, almost 60 explosions were reported in six communities of the region – Khotin, Velyka Pysarivka, Krasnopillia, Yunakivka, Esman, and Seredyna-Buda.
As a result of the attacks, a residential building was damaged.
Located in Ukraine's northeast, Sumy Oblast has been subjected to constant Russian attacks since it was fully liberated from Russian occupation in early April 2022.
Alexander Khrebet
