Russian Missile strike targets orphanage, rehabilitation centre in Sumy, Ukraine, injuring 13

A Russian missile strike has hit an orphanage and children’s socio-psychological rehabilitation centre in the city of Sumy, Ukraine, leaving 13 people injured, including four children. The two institutions, which share a building in a residential area of the city, were severely damaged in the attack.

The Sumy District Military Administration reported that the full scale of the destruction and the exact number of casualties are still being assessed. Alongside the orphanage and rehabilitation centre, an educational institution and at least five high-rise buildings were also destroyed in the strike, according to local police.

Ukrainian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the incident under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which pertains to violations of the laws of war. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on the attack.

The Sumy region, located on the border with Russia’s Kursk region, has been under heightened tension since Ukrainian forces entered Russian territory on August 6. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasised that protecting the Sumy region from Russian bombardments is a key objective of ongoing military operations.

Following the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk, the intensity of Russian shelling on Ukrainian territories has increased, leading the Sumy administration to order the mandatory evacuation of 23 settlements, affecting approximately six thousand residents.