Ukraine says nine killed in Russia strikes on hospital

Nine radical person been killed successful duplicate Russian drone strikes connected a infirmary successful Ukraine's north-eastern metropolis of Sumy, Ukrainian officials say.

They accidental the gathering was deed connected Saturday morning, and was struck again erstwhile rescuers were evacuating people.

At slightest 12 radical were injured successful the onslaught that destroyed respective floors of the infirmary and triggered a fire.

Ukraine's authorities emergencies work DSNS says 122 radical person been evacuated.

Sumy, astir 30km (19 miles) from the Russian border, has seen astir regular Russian attacks successful caller weeks.

The Saint Panteleimon infirmary successful Sumy was deed by Shahed kamikaze drones, Ukrainian officials say, adding that dozens of patients and unit were wrong astatine the time.

A caregiver and a constabulary serviceman who had been aiding the evacuation were among those killed successful the strikes.

The DSNS said 3 floors of the four-storey building, arsenic good arsenic the extortion were partially destroyed.

It said a occurrence that broke retired aft the strikes was aboriginal contained.

Several residential buildings successful the country were besides damaged.

Reacting to the Russian strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the satellite to "pay attraction to what Russia is targeting.

"They are waging warfare connected hospitals, civilian objects, and people’s lives," helium said successful a connection connected societal media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022.

In its latest operational update connected Saturday, the Russian defence ministry says its forces carried retired strikes connected respective Ukrainian brigades successful the Sumy region.

The defence ministry did not remark connected the reported infirmary strikes.

Sumy borders Russia’s Kursk region, wherever Ukraine launched its astonishment incursion successful August, capturing astatine slightest 1 municipality and a fig of villages.

The evident purpose of the violative was to halt Russia's beforehand successful eastbound Ukraine by redeploying troops to Kursk.

However, Russian troops person since claimed to person captured respective villages successful Ukraine's Donetsk region, and are present threatening a cardinal municipality of Vuhledar.

Saturday's strikes travel a time aft Zelensky met Donald Trump successful New York. The Republican statesmanlike nominee has repeatedly criticised the Ukrainian person connected the US run trail, and a gathering betwixt the brace had seemed improbable until hours before.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian person met US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris astatine the White House to sermon his "victory plan", which helium hopes volition unit Russia into agreeing a diplomatic extremity to the war.

Hours before, Biden had announced a further $7.9bn (£5.9bn) bundle of subject assistance to Ukraine.