KYIV (Reuters) – Two consecutive Russian attacks on a medical centre in Sumy in northeastern Ukraine on Saturday morning killed six people, Ukraine’s interior minister said.
“The first attack killed 1 person and damaged the ceilings of several floors of the hospital. The evacuation of patients and staff began,” Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram.
As people were being evacuated, the Russians struck again, killing a further five people, he said.
Attacks on Sumy city and the Sumy region have become much more frequent since Ukrainian forces launched an operation in Russia’s neighbouring Kursk region in August and captured dozens of settlements.
Sumy city is located just 32 km (20 miles) from the Russian border and Russian forces have been attacking the region and the city with drones and guided bombs.
Klymenko did not specify what weapons were used in Saturday’s attacks but the regional administration said the strike was carried out by drones.
Ukrainian air forces earlier on Saturday said its troops shot down 69 of 73 drones during an overnight Russian attack that included two ballistic and two cruise missiles.
About 15 Russian attack drones were destroyed by air defences on the outskirts and in the capital Kyiv, the military administration there said.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
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