A Russian airstrike on a densely populated residential area in Sumy, northeastern Ukraine, left at least 65 people injured on Monday, including 14 children, according to the Regional Prosecutor’s Office. The attack occurred alongside a new round of negotiations between the United States and Russia in Saudi Arabia, where a potential partial ceasefire in the conflict is being explored.
According to an official statement published on social media, the missile struck a residential area of the city, causing damage to several apartment blocks, a hospital, and at least one educational institution. “Russia launched a missile at a densely populated residential area in Sumy,” the prosecutor’s office reported.
Sumy Mayor Artem Kobzar stated on Telegram that “the enemy has attacked residential buildings, especially children’s hospitals,” adding that the strike also affected other children’s institutions and a hospital. He assured that emergency services remain in the affected area, transporting the injured to various medical centers.
Sumy borders Russia’s Kursk region to the north, where Ukrainian forces launched a swift offensive in August 2024, managing to seize some areas of territory. During the early days of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Moscow temporarily occupied parts of Sumy Oblast before withdrawing weeks later.
The attack comes as senior representatives from the United States and Russia meet in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to discuss a possible partial ceasefire. According to diplomatic sources, a meeting also took place on Sunday between a Ukrainian delegation, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and U.S. envoys.
The U.S. and Russian teams met behind closed doors in a luxury hotel in Riyadh, with the possible reactivation of the 2022 Black Sea ceasefire agreement among the key topics on the table.
U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a swift end to the three-year-long war and hopes that “the deliberations in Riyadh will pave the way for an understanding.”
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a joint U.S.-Ukrainian call for a total 30-day ceasefire and instead proposed halting attacks only on energy infrastructure.
One of the key issues under discussion is the possible resumption of the Black Sea Initiative, a one-year agreement that allowed the export of millions of tons of grain and other food products from Ukrainian ports.
“The future of the Black Sea Initiative and all aspects related to its renewal are on today’s agenda,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.
“This was a proposal from President Trump, and President Putin agreed to it. Our delegation traveled to Riyadh with this mandate,” he added.
Initially, the talks were scheduled to take place simultaneously, but they are now being held separately.
