Central Sumy targeted in wave of Russian airstrikes, massive damage reported

Direct impacts on civilian infrastructure were confirmed in several parts of the city, with two of the powerful bombs detonating in the central downtown district.

"In one of the epicenters of the strikes, a non-residential high-rise building was severely damaged. Hundreds of windows were shattered in the surrounding residential buildings," Hryhorov noted.

Local municipal emergency services are continuing to assess the scale of the destruction, while information regarding potential casualties is being actively updated. The blasts occurred shortly after 3 a.m. local time, following a separate evening strike on the city's outskirts at approximately 9:28 p.m. on July 16, which sent two residents to the hospital with injuries and acute stress.

This latest air assault follows a tragic sequence of events in the city.

On July 15, Russian forces struck Sumy with six KABs, killing three people. Among the victims was a local woman selling pastries near a hospital complex, targeted in one of the explosions.

Two men were also killed in that July 15 strike, and 19 others sustained injuries. Three of the wounded remain in critical condition, including a 16-year-old boy.

In response to the tragic events, municipal authorities in Sumy had declared July 16 a formal day of mourning — only for the city to be targeted again by Russian aviation just hours after it concluded.