Key facts
- A Russian drone struck the Manufactura mall in Sumy, Ukraine, on September 9.
- The attack killed two 21-year-old individuals and injured 20 others, including three children.
- Fourteen people were hospitalized following the strike.
- Sumy Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported the casualties and the extent of the injuries.
- The strike is part of a pattern of intensified Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
A Russian drone struck a shopping and entertainment center in the northeastern city of Sumy on September 9, killing at least two people and injuring 20, including three children, according to local authorities. The drone hit Sumy's Manufactura mall near the city's center, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported. Footage released by the agency showed firefighters battling flames and debris strewn across parking lots. Sumy Governor Oleh Hryhorov stated that the attack killed two 21-year-old individuals and injured 20 others, with several in serious or critical condition, including three teenage girls. Fourteen people were hospitalized. This strike follows a pattern of intensified Russian attacks on Ukrainian supermarkets and shopping centers. In August, a similar drone strike on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih resulted in 16 deaths and 130 injuries. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the Sumy attack, calling for international cooperation to counter terrorism and stop the killings, emphasizing the threat posed by such attacks. The incident occurred shortly after a U.S.-brokered peace push in Kyiv and Moscow, which, while reviving diplomatic efforts, did not halt Russian missile strikes. Russia has been exploiting Ukraine's air defense shortages throughout the summer, leading to a high number of civilian casualties.