On July 21, the city of Sumy became the target of a series of coordinated attacks by Russian occupiers. The situation on the ground escalated to a critical level: not only civilian objects were hit, but also rescuers attempting to eliminate the consequences of the strike. The enemy launched repeated strikes precisely at the moment when State Emergency Service (SES) personnel began to extinguish the fire.
Repeated strikes on the fire site
According to the State Emergency Service (SES), the initial strike hit a 9-story residential building. A drone struck the building, causing a fire to break out on the first floor. The fire quickly spread to neighboring objects, including the large 'Epicenter' shopping center, where a large-scale fire began.
The situation was complicated by the fact that Russian forces were firing on the site where rescuers were working. As noted by the department, as soon as emergency service personnel began to extinguish the fire, the enemy launched repeated strikes. This led to the destruction of an official vehicle and damage to another SES vehicle.
Casualties and destruction
As a result of the attack, 6 civilians were injured, including 4 children. In addition to the residential building and the shopping center, the area around the building was hit. During the shelling, two cars caught fire, but rescuers managed to quickly localize and extinguish these fires.
Despite the extremely difficult security situation and the constant threat of repeated attacks, SES personnel continue to eliminate the consequences of the strikes and assist the injured. The operation to extinguish the fire in the shopping center and the residential building continues under conditions of high danger.
Context of escalation
The attack on Sumy became part of the general wave of strikes intercepted by the Ukrainian Air Force on the night of July 21. Earlier, it was reported that in July, Russia fired more ballistic missiles at Ukraine than it produced, which indicates a critical depletion of weapon stocks and an attempt to inflict maximum damage in the shortest possible time.
