© Getty Images / Vlada Liberova; LibkosCollapsed building in Ukraine's border city of Sumy after Russian strike
On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that it carried out a precision strike the previous day on a gathering of Ukrainian command staff in the border city of Sumy. Two Iskander-M missiles were used in the attack on Sunday, it said, adding that over 60 senior Ukrainian servicemen were killed in the strike.
The local Ukrainian authorities have claimed that the attack targeted a military awards ceremony for the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade. Officials reported that the strike resulted in 35 civilian deaths and 129 others injured.
Several Ukrainian officials, including the mayor of Konotop, Artyom Semenikhin, have since called for the prosecution of Artyukh, accusing him of being directly responsible for the casualties by "organizing an awards ceremony" despite warnings not to do so.
Artyukh has effectively confirmed that the ceremony took place on the day of the attack but denied responsibility for the event, telling public broadcaster Suspilne that he "was invited" but did not organize it.
Nevertheless, Zelensky signed a decree on Tuesday removing Artyukh from his post. Taras Melnychuk, the cabinet's representative in parliament, confirmed the move in a post on Telegram on Tuesday and announced that the government has decided on a replacement.
Moscow has stressed that it does not attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the Russian military only strikes "military-related targets." Russian officials have accused Kiev, however, of deliberately hosting military events in civilian areas.
Following the Sumy attack, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the facility targeted in Sunday's strike was hosting both Ukrainian and NATO officers, and claimed they were posing as mercenaries.
Lavrov went on to say that Kiev routinely flouts international law by placing military facilities and weapons in or near civilian infrastructure, and that there have been "a million" examples of this.
Sumy is a regional capital and frontline city of over 250,000 people, located 25km from the border with Russia. It has become a focal point of Ukraine's retreat from Russia's Kursk Region following its failed incursion.
Reader Comments
MYSTERY has deepened over Russia's doomsday radio station called "The Buzzer" after the Soviet-era relic sent out four cryptic signals in just 24 hours.
Known to be used by the KGB during the height of the Cold War, Radio station UVB-76 has been continuously buzzing since the late '70s to allegedly exchange secret military messages.
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The Sun is a "yellow press" even according to British standards.
Not wise to gather in large groupings when you have behaved so offensively. D. U. H.
There are weapons some think are indomitable, but a fool thinks a weapon is as such, and delusional thinking has been running rampant. There is no weapon indomitable and love, which is not a weapon rules. Love overcomes all obstacles, and this foretells some hard lessons forthcoming- let Justified Retribution be oh so precise - on a dime response to those refute love - cause love tis indomitable and all the silver and gold on planet won’t save your soul. Tis eye of the needle precision upon the perpetuators I pray for - with respect. BK