Aftermath of a Russian drone attack in Sumy. /State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Russian forces struck a medical center in Sumy, northeastern Ukraine, on Saturday morning, and then attacked again as people were being evacuated, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack killed nine people and injured 20 others and caused significant destruction to the facility where 86 patients and 38 staff members were present at the time of the strikes.
"The first attack killed one person and damaged the ceilings of several floors of the hospital," wrote Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko on Telegram. As rescue operations were underway, Russian forces launched another assault, resulting in additional casualties. "As people were being evacuated, the Russians struck again, killing a further five people," Klymenko added.
Firefighters work at a site of the medical center in Sumy. /State Emergency Service of Ukraine
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine confirmed on Facebook that nine people, including an employee of the national police, lost their lives in the assault. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the incident, stating, "Everyone in the world who talks about this war should pay attention to where Russia is hitting. They are fighting hospitals, civilian objects, and people's lives."
Attacks on Sumy and its surrounding region have intensified since Ukraine launched operations in Russia's Kursk region in August, capturing several settlements.
In Russia, the Defense Ministry said Saturday that air defenses overnight had shot down four Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod region and one over the Kursk region, both areas bordering Ukraine.
Air strike kills three in Kharkiv region
In a separate attack, a Russian airstrike killed three people and injured at least three others in the village of Slatyne, in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. "The enemy hit civilian infrastructure, damaged educational institutions, shops," Syniehubov said on Telegram. "People were outside at the time."
The details of the attack could not be independently verified, and Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians despite the significant casualties caused during the more than two-and-a-half years of conflict.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly. /Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
China calls for peace in Ukraine
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, asserting that China is actively working for peace in Ukraine and is "not throwing oil on the fire" or exploiting the war for its own benefit.
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