A Russian attack on Ukraine’s northeast city of Sumy killed 11 people and injured at least 89, Ukrainian officials said.
"Sunday evening for the city of Sumy became hell, a tragedy that Russia brought to our land," military administrator Volodymyr Artyukh said in a post on the Telegram messaging channel.
Sumy regional prosecutors said the attack damaged 90 apartments, 28 cars, two educational institutions and 13 buildings.
The attack followed a massive Russian bombardment of Ukraine’s power infrastructure earlier in the day, as well as news reports that the United States granted clearance for Ukraine to use long-range U.S. weapons to hit military targets in Russia.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country and its allies should focus on “really forcing Russia to end the war.”
“Today marked one of the largest and most dangerous Russian attacks in the entire war - 210 drones and missiles launched simultaneously – including hypersonic and aeroballistic ones,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
Zelenskyy has long been lobbying for permission to use the Army Tactical Missile System, known by its initials ATACMS, to hit targets inside Russia. He said in his address that negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin is not an effective strategy to end the war.
“This is the answer to all those who wanted to achieve something with Putin through conversations, phone calls, hugs – appeasement. Today, this ‘dove of peace’ sent us yet another barrage of ‘Kinzhal’ and ‘Kalibr’ missiles. That’s his diplomacy. His language is treachery,” Zelenskyy said.
Long-range capabilities
President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, easing limitations on the longer range weapons as Russia deploys up to 12,000 North Korean troops to reinforce its war, according to a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter, the Associated Press reported.
In recent weeks, Putin has positioned troops – including those from North Korea - along the northern border of Ukraine in a push to regain territory.
Biden had been opposed to any escalation of the war in Ukraine, and Putin has said Moscow could provide long-range weapons for others to hit Western targets if NATO allies allow Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.
But Zelenskyy has argued that the restriction on long-range weapons has hampered Ukraine’s defense against Russian attacks. Long-range capabilities, he said, are a key component of Ukraine’s victory plan.
“Today, there’s a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for respective actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves,” Zelensky said. “They certainly will.”
Russia downs 59 drones
Meanwhile, Russia shot down 59 Ukranian drones overnight, according to the Russian defense ministry.
"During the past night, attempts by the Kyiv regime to carry out terrorist UAV attacks against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation were thwarted," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said most of the drones were shot down across three regions bordering Ukraine: 45 in Bryansk, six in Kursk and three in Belgorod, Agence France-Presse reported.
Three drones were intercepted in the region of Tula, south of the capital, while two others were downed over the Moscow region.
Ukraine's air force said on Monday that it shot down eight out of 11 Russian drones during an overnight attack.
Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Press.
