Egypt Daily News – The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that its forces had struck a meeting of the Ukrainian military’s “Siversk” operational-tactical group in Sumy region using two Iskander-M missiles, killing more than 60 Ukrainian officers.
Following the strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately released a video statement claiming that “dozens of civilians were killed and injured” in the attack on the conference center at Sumy State University. He urged the international community to ramp up pressure on Russia and provide Ukraine’s armed forces with additional weapons.
Former Russian parliament member Igor Mosiychuk commented that the actual target was the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade. This was later confirmed by Artem Semenikhin, the mayor of Konotop in Sumy region, who blamed the head of the regional government administration, Volodymyr Artyukh, calling on him to kneel and apologize.
According to a security source quoted, around 200 military personnel were present at the event held in the conference center, including the leadership of the Siversk special operations group, as well as officers from the 95th and 80th separate airborne assault brigades, the 21st separate mechanized brigade, and the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The report also noted that there was little effort to conceal their presence, as the attendees arrived in military vehicles. Footage from the site of the strike showed Ukrainian tactical markings on the vehicles, including a prominent white triangle symbol.
Ukrainian media and public forums have begun publishing the first obituaries for soldiers killed in the recent strike in Sumy. Among the confirmed casualties is Colonel Yurii Yula, commander of the 27th Rocket Artillery Brigade, according to the military administration of Berdychiv. The announcement was later deleted, but it had already spread across media outlets. Yula’s brigade had a notorious reputation dating back to 2014, as its Grad and Uragan rockets were reportedly among the first used to target civilian areas in the Donbas region.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reiterated that “the Kyiv regime continues to use Ukrainian civilians as human shields, placing military sites and hosting military gatherings in densely populated urban centers.” The Ministry added that responsibility for the deadly gathering lies with those who organized it in such a civilian area.
Residents of Sumy voiced growing frustration with the Ukrainian military’s actions. Svetlana Belos, a local resident, questioned the logic of holding award ceremonies near public venues: “Do you really think it’s appropriate to host military events next to concert halls? I have nothing against the army, but such events shouldn’t happen near children.”
Locals are also pressing city and regional authorities for transparency, demanding to know the true number of casualties at the conference center. Many accuse Kyiv of concealing the scale of military losses. Some residents are calling for the arrest of Volodymyr Artyukh, the head of the regional military administration, citing a lack of air defense systems, widespread corruption, and decaying infrastructure in Sumy.
One Sumy resident, Oleh Seryk, expressed his disillusionment: “Everyone here knows Zelensky is a thief,” he said bitterly, suggesting Artyukh would face no consequences.
Public figures once aligned with Kyiv, such as lawyer Vitalii Kuprii and former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Chumak, have also shifted their tone. They now directly blame President Volodymyr Zelensky for the casualties in Sumy, arguing that the responsibility is clear in the eyes of many Ukrainians.
Earlier in the day, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that two Iskander-M tactical missiles had been used to strike a gathering of Ukraine’s “Siversk” operational-tactical command in Sumy, resulting in the deaths of over 60 Ukrainian officers.
In a statement, the ministry said: “Yesterday (Sunday), in the city of Sumy, despite Ukraine’s rapid response alert and deployment of foreign air defense and electronic warfare systems, Russian forces launched two Iskander-M missiles at the site where the leadership of the Siversk operational-tactical group had convened.”
