Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A multi-storey apartment building in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy was struck by a Russian drone. It claimed the lives of four people and wounded nine, including a minor, the regional authorities stated.
In his statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said,
This is a terrible tragedy, a terrible Russian crime. It is very important that the world does not stop putting pressure on Russia for this terror.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian forces launched 81 drones at Ukraine overnight, harming businesses and houses around the country. Ukrainian Air Force intercepted 37 drones, and 39 others did not reach their marks.
Sumy Governor Volodymyr Artyukh stated emergency services were rescuing residents from parts of the building. The raid destroyed five apartments and impaired over 20 cars, authorities conveyed.
How are Russian drone attacks increasing in January 2025?
Heavy civilian casualties and damage to residential infrastructure have resulted from recent Russian drone attacks on Ukraine. On January 24, 2025, three people were killed by debris from a downed drone in a Kyiv region attack that struck a residential area. The attack damaged several buildings and vehicles, showing that civilian life in Ukraine is still under threat.
Throughout January 2025, Russian troops have been launching several drone attacks on different parts of Ukraine, from Odesa to Poltava. Every time, these attacks were done on civilian infrastructure and to date, reported injuries and deaths of non-combatants.
On January 22, 2025, Kherson, Ukraine reported that Russia launched a series of lethal drone strikes at civilians that claimed the lives of seven, and over 55 have been wounded since the start of the year. According to residents, fear has gripped people as drone attacks increase.
The use of drones has become an everyday tactic in Russia’s war against Ukraine, further fueling a humanitarian crisis as civilians continue to suffer under these attacks. Both Ukraine and Russia claim their operations target only military targets while civilian populations take the brunt of the effects.
