By Titilope Adako
A Russian missile strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy has wounded at least 88 people, including 17 children, according to the local council.
The attack, which hit a school and a hospital, comes amid ongoing negotiations between Russia and the United States in Saudi Arabia over a potential ceasefire.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strike, stating, “Moscow speaks of peace while carrying out brutal strikes on densely populated residential areas in major Ukrainian cities.
Instead of making hollow statements about peace, Russia must stop bombing our cities and end its war on civilians.”
The attack has further strained diplomatic efforts, with both Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of undermining peace initiatives.
Russian and US officials met in Saudi Arabia on Monday, with Ukrainian and American delegations expected to gather in Riyadh on Tuesday.
A Russian source told Reuters that a draft joint statement had been sent to Moscow and Washington for approval, with hopes of a public release by Tuesday.
A White House source described the talks as “extremely well,” adding that a positive announcement was expected soon.
Discussions reportedly included energy infrastructure and measures to safeguard commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
During a briefing at the White House, former US President Donald Trump stated that negotiations also covered territorial boundaries and the potential for US involvement in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has accused Russia of recruiting Ukrainian teenagers to carry out terrorist attacks.
The SBU claimed that Russian intelligence agencies were offering children money through social media to deliver packages, which were later remotely detonated.
The agency alleged that the Russian Federal Security Service used a 15-year-old boy as an “assassin” in Kharkiv and was behind the death of a teenager in Ivano-Frankivsk, western Ukraine.
Sumy, located about 30 kilometres from the Russian border, has been a frequent target of drone and missile strikes throughout the ongoing war.
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