KYIV: Russian forces hit a medical center in Sumy in northeastern Ukraine on Saturday morning then struck again as the building was being evacuated, killing a total of eight people, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukrainian prosecutors said that at the time of the attacks, 86 patients and 38 staff members were in the hospital.
“The first attack killed one person and damaged the ceilings of several floors of the hospital,” Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram.
As people were being evacuated, the Russians struck again, killing a further five people, he said.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky later said eight people were killed and 11 injured.
“Everyone in the world who talks about this war should pay attention to where Russia is hitting. They are fighting hospitals, civilian objects, and people’s lives,” Zelensky said on Telegram.
“Only force can force Russia to peace. Peace through force is the only right way.”
Klymenko did not specify what weapons were used in Saturday’s attacks but the regional administration and air forces said the strike was carried out by drones.
Attacks on Sumy city and the Sumy region have become much more frequent since Ukrainian forces launched an operation in Russia’s Kursk region in August and captured dozens of settlements.
Sumy city is located just 32 km (20 miles) from the Russian border and Russian forces have been attacking the region and the city with drones and guided bombs.
Ukrainian air forces earlier on Saturday said they had shot down 69 of 73 drones during an overnight Russian attack that included two ballistic and two cruise missiles.
About 15 Russian attack drones were destroyed by air defenses in the capital Kyiv and on its outskirts, the military administration there said.
Kyiv says Russian attacks on medical center in Ukraine’s Sumy kill 8, injure 11
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Kyiv says Russian attacks on medical center in Ukraine’s Sumy kill 8, injure 11
Pakistan army chief tells Kabul to choose Islamabad or Taliban militants
- Pakistan blames Afghanistan for facilitating cross-border attacks in its territory, allegations Kabul denies
- Ties have been strained since October, when border clashes left dozens dead on both sides
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has told Afghanistan to choose between Islamabad and the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants, state media reported on Sunday as ties between both neighbors remain strained.
Pakistan’s army and civilian government have both blamed the Afghan Taliban recently for facilitating cross-border attacks in Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies. Afghanistan said it does not allow its territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan and cannot be held responsible for Islamabad’s security challenges.
Both countries were involved in border clashes in October in which dozens of soldiers were killed and wounded on both sides. Officials from Afghanistan and Pakistan have held peace talks in Qatar, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia over the past few months but failed to reach an agreement.
“Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has said Afghanistan will have to choose between Fitna Al-Khawarij and Pakistan,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Munir was addressing the National Ulema and Mashaikh Conference in Islamabad earlier this month, state media said.
“Fitna Al-Khawarij” is a term the Pakistan military frequently uses for the TTP.
Munir pointed out that 70 percent of the TTP’s formations that enter Pakistan from Afghanistan comprise Afghan citizens.
“He said innocent citizens, including children, are being targeted through terrorism with the backing of the Afghan Taliban,” Radio Pakistan reported.
While Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to a temporary ceasefire, tensions persist between the two countries as militant attacks persist in Pakistan.
Pakistan summoned Afghanistan’s deputy head of mission on Friday and demanded “decisive action” against TTP militants after four Pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack on a military camp in northwest Pakistan.
The foreign office said the Afghan government had been informed that Pakistan “reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens” and would take all necessary measures to respond to attacks originating from Afghan territory.
Afghanistan has warned Pakistan in the past against attacking its territory, saying it reserves the right to respond to such provocations.
