Russian airstrike on Ukraine's Sumy kills four, including child, injures 27 PHOTO

At least four people, including a child, were killed and 27 others were injured after a Russian airstrike hit the centre of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, according to Ukrainian authorities, in one of the latest deadly attacks on civilian areas.

Officials said the strike targeted a central street, damaging residential neighbourhoods and civilian infrastructure, including an apartment building, a store, and a roadway. Around 15 private homes were also damaged as emergency services continued search-and-rescue operations amid fears that more people could still be trapped beneath the rubble, Caliber.Az reports.

Sumy Regional Military Administration head Oleg Hryhorov said the Russian attack struck densely populated civilian areas and left dozens of casualties, including children.

"At the epicentre of the strike were an apartment building, a store, and a road," Hryhorov said, adding that 27 people were injured, including seven children.

According to Hryhorov, a 79-year-old woman died at the scene after sustaining critical injuries on her property, while a five-year-old girl also lost her life despite efforts by emergency medics to resuscitate her. The child's 34-year-old mother was killed in the strike, and her older sister was hospitalised with moderate injuries. A 61-year-old man was also among those killed.

                                                                                               

Hryhorov said a 13-year-old child remained in critical condition, while doctors managed to revive a man whose heart had stopped following the blast. He and a young woman were both reported to be in extremely critical condition.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, saying Russia had used guided aerial bombs against civilians in the centre of Sumy.

Efforts to deal with the aftermath of the Russian airstrike are ongoing in Sumy. The Russians used guided aerial bombs against ordinary people in the city center. There may still be people trapped under the rubble of an apartment building. Tragically, as of now, four people have… pic.twitter.com/wfXFV9tK9l

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 3, 2026

"Efforts to deal with the aftermath of the Russian airstrike are ongoing in Sumy. The Russians used guided aerial bombs against ordinary people in the city center," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

The Ukrainian president said authorities believed additional victims could still be trapped beneath the collapsed apartment building. He confirmed that four people, including a child, had been killed and said many of the 27 injured had sustained severe wounds.

Zelenskyy also reported that Russia carried out attacks elsewhere in Ukraine on the same day. He said a drone strike in Zaporizhzhia killed two people and injured six others, including a child, while another Russian FPV drone attack in Kharkiv wounded civilians. He added that communities in the Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Donetsk regions also came under attack.

Calling for increased international pressure on Moscow, Zelenskyy urged Ukraine's partners to intensify sanctions and strengthen Kyiv's air defences.

"It is essential that our partners pressure Russia so that this terror comes to an end," he said, adding that Europe should make greater use of measures targeting Russia's energy sector, oil fleet, and financial system while continuing to bolster Ukraine's defensive capabilities.

By Sabina Mammadli