Russia is targeting civilians: the State Emergency Service reported on the situation in Sumy region

From the first days of the full-scale invasion, Russian troops have been targeting civilian objects and the residential sector in Sumy region. This was reported by the spokesman for the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Sumy region, Oleg Strelka.

“This has been happening since the first days of the war. Unfortunately, Sumy region has the longest border with Russia, their cynicism, their targeted attacks on the residential sector are confirmation of their inhumane attitude and failure to comply with any laws of war,” he said.

He also emphasized that the tragedy in the village of Chernechchyna, where a family with two small children died as a result of the attack at night, and the woman was pregnant, is yet another proof of the cynicism of the Russians. According to the spokesman, the attack took place at 2:40, engulfing two residential buildings in fire. Rescuers of the State Emergency Service together with local firefighters worked on the elimination of the consequences until 14:36, having to stop periodically due to the threat of repeated strikes.

“The family was in a one-story apartment building, at 5:11 they unblocked the body of the deceased husband, at 5:15 the body of his wife. At 5:20 and at 5:26 the bodies of the deceased sons,” the spokesman said.

According to him, on September 30, the Russians also attacked Sumy with a drone, hitting an apartment building, but fortunately, there was no detonation.

The spokesman stressed that the Russians are purposefully attacking civilian objects, in particular residential buildings, and are also systematically using the tactic of repeated strikes, which significantly complicates the work of rescuers. According to him, currently no operation to eliminate the consequences of shelling is complete without repeated attacks. So, last week, September 22-28, in Sumy, while rescuers were working at the sites of the strikes, the Russians launched attacks again.

“So, exactly at the locations where we were working. There was a second strike exactly every hour,” he said.

He reported that even during the liquidation of household fires in border areas, the Russians are purposefully firing on rescuers. According to him, recently in the Krasnopil community, a drone hit a fire truck, and in the Bilopil community, a drone attack damaged equipment and injured two employees of the State Emergency Service.

On the night of September 30, in the village of Chernechchyna, Krasnopil community, Sumy region, a Russian strike drone targeted a residential building.

As a result of the hit by the Russian strike drone, the entire Lesnichenko family died: parents and their two young sons. Neighbors of the family confirmed that the woman, Alena Lesnichenko, was pregnant with twins. On September 30, a 79-year-old man was injured by an anti-aircraft bullet in the center of the city of Konotop, Sumy region, amid an air attack by Russian military personnel.