3 children injured as Russia strikes Sumy school with glide bombs

On September 29, Russian forces launched four glide bombs at the city of Sumy, injuring three children who were sheltering in a school. The victims were among the two civilians killed in their homes during the attack. Sumy Oblast governor Oleh Hryhorov reported the incident on social media. Russian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his outrage, stating that the act of targeting children and schools is an abhorrent act of terrorism.

He urged America, Europe, and other partners to exert pressure on Russia to cease such atrocities. Situated near the Russian border and just 25 kilometers away from the front line, Sumy has been a frequent target of Russian airstrikes, primarily through drones and glide bombs. The offensive against Sumy intensified significantly in spring 2025, following a major Russian offensive aimed at approaching the city.

Despite the stabilization of the offensive, Russian forces have continued to escalate their targeting, particularly of city capitals on the front lines such as Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv. The use of inaccurate but highly destructive glide bombs has been a favored tactic in these attacks. In a similar case, Russian forces struck the Saltivka residential neighborhood of Kharkiv with glide bombs on September 28, injuring 48 people, including 12 children.

Rescue efforts took over a day to complete, concluding on September 29 with the recovery of 32 individuals from the rubble.