Three dead as Russian missiles strike Ukrainian city of Sumy

Three people were killed and about 20 others injured as Russian missiles struck the city of Sumy, in northeastern Ukraine, the municipal authorities announced on Tuesday morning.

The authorities said the city was hit by five long-range multiple launch rocket system strikes at about 9am on Tuesday, damaging a medical facility and homes.

There were also overnight Russian drone strikes across Ukraine, with the Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Odesa regions affected.

In the city of Balakliya, in the eastern Kharkiv region, one person was killed and another was injured, Mayor Vitaliy Karabanov reported on Tuesday, with some of the drones hitting a civilian business building.

At least five people were injured in the port city of Odesa, in the south of the country, in Russian drone strikes, Governor Oleh Kiper announced. A warehouse caught fire, while residential buildings also suffered damage.

Commenting on the attack on Sumy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this was an “absolutely deliberate attack on civilians”, which said “all one needed to know” about Russia’s “desire” to end the war.

The attack came the day after a second round of negotiations between the two countries in Istanbul on Monday. While no major breakthrough occurred, Russia did present Ukraine with a punishing list of terms for peace.