Local authorities confirmed that the attack killed two people and injured nine others. Three of the wounded are in critical condition.
“Dear residents, the explosion you just heard in the city was the result of a strike on an industrial facility,” Kobzar said. “Additional information will be provided later.”
The Sumy Regional Military Administration also confirmed casualties from the strike, while the Sumy City Military Administration later reported one fatality, according to public broadcaster Suspilne.
The explosion was heard in Sumy at approximately 2:48 p.m., Suspilne said.
Earlier that day, at 2:42 p.m., air raid alerts were issued in Kyiv and several other regions due to the threat of ballistic missiles. By 2:52 p.m., Ukraine’s Air Force warned of Russian tactical aircraft launching guided aerial bombs (KABs) on Sumy Oblast, followed by another alert at 3:12 p.m. about the threat of air-dropped munitions targeting frontline regions.
Overnight on May 14, air raid alerts were also activated in multiple regions due to the threat of kamikaze drones. Air defenses were active in Kyiv Oblast. In Rivne Oblast, drone strikes damaged civilian infrastructure, leaving two people wounded.
Kropyvnytskyi also came under heavy drone attack by Russian Shahed loitering munitions. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched a total of 145 drones and one ballistic missile across Ukraine that night. Air defenses destroyed or disrupted 122 of the drones.