The missile strike has heightened tensions as both Russia and Ukraine continue to accuse each other of sabotaging peace efforts in the ongoing war, which is now in its third year.
A Russian missile strike in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy has wounded at least 88 people, including 17 children, according to the local council.
The attack, which damaged a school and a hospital, occurred as Russia and the United States held talks in Saudi Arabia over a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, Sky News reports.
“Moscow speaks of peace while carrying out brutal strikes on densely populated residential areas in major Ukrainian cities,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said.
“Instead of making hollow statements about peace, Russia must stop bombing our cities and end its war on civilians.”
The missile strike has heightened tensions as both Russia and Ukraine continue to accuse each other of sabotaging peace efforts in the ongoing war, which is now in its third year.
On Monday, Russian and US officials met in Saudi Arabia, with Ukrainian and American delegations set 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 going “extremely well,” adding that a positive announcement was expected soon.
Discussions reportedly covered energy infrastructure and the possibility of halting attacks in the Black Sea to ensure the safety of commercial shipping.
During an exchange with reporters at the White House, Donald Trump mentioned that territorial lines and the potential for US ownership of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine were part of the negotiations.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s main intelligence agency, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), has accused Russia of recruiting Ukrainian teenagers to carry out terrorist attacks.
The SBU claimed that Russian intelligence agencies are offering children easy money via social media to deliver packages, which are then remotely detonated.
According to the SBU, the Russian Federal Security Service used a 15-year-old boy as an “assassin” in Kharkiv and was responsible for the death of a teenager in Ivano-Frankivsk, western Ukraine.
Sumy, located about 18.6 miles from the Russian border, has frequently been targeted by drone and missile strikes.
Sahara Reporters
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