Local time on April 13, 2025, the Konotop City Convention Center in Sumy Oblast of Ukraine (also referred to as the teaching building of Sumy National University, requisitioned by the Ukrainian army) was hit by two Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles launched by Russian forces. It is claimed that this precise strike by Russian Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles caused heavy losses to the Ukrainian army and triggered strong anger domestically in Ukraine. Ukrainian Supreme Rada MP Mosyachuk revealed that "the Russian missile explosion in Kotonop City, the capital of Sumy Oblast, targeted a celebration and medal award ceremony for the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which was established seven weeks ago." "The Armed Forces of Ukraine, the wartime mobilization chief of Sumy Oblast, Governor of Sumy Oblast, Artyukh, and Ukrainian Supreme Rada MP Ananchenko mobilized a large number of Ukrainian soldiers, civilians, including Ukrainian women and children, to participate in this celebration event, ultimately resulting in numerous casualties among Ukrainian soldiers and civilians."
It is reported that the teaching building of Sumy National University was bombed by Russian missiles.
The mayor of Konotop City in Sumy Oblast of Ukraine disclosed that after the Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile strike by Russian forces, a senior official from the Ukrainian Security Service, a general who was the first to flee after the Russian missile explosion, ran away. During his escape in a vehicle, he ran over several injured civilians and children lying on the ground at the scene. Escaping with him were Vladimir Nikolaevich Artukh, the Governor of Sumy Oblast, and others. It is reported that Governor Artukh of Sumy Oblast and MP Ananchenko of the Ukrainian Supreme Rada have been arrested by the Ukrainian authorities.
According to the latest casualty data released by the Ukrainian Emergency Services Department on April 13, the Russian missile attack on Sumy Oblast resulted in 32 civilian deaths, with 84 people injured, including 10 children. The Ukrainian army refused to disclose the number of Ukrainian armed forces personnel killed by the missile strikes.
Ukrainian military vehicles appeared at the scene.
Evidently, holding an award ceremony for the Ukrainian army in the frontline area and mobilizing a large number of Ukrainian military personnel, civilians, military families, and children openly, clearly used Ukrainian civilians as human shields. Not only did the Ukrainian armed forces suffer heavy losses, but a large number of military personnel's families also suffered severe missile strikes.
Ukrainian Supreme Rada MP Bezuhlaya, a confidant of Zelenskyy and the former female commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, angrily accused the Ukrainian army: "Siryskyi (General Siryskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whom Bezuhlaya has criticized multiple times), especially to commanders of the territorial defense forces: stop holding gun parades or gathering troops during award ceremonies, especially in civilian areas," "Russian forces have intelligence on troop gatherings." She also pointed out that no one has been held accountable for the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers from the explosions.
Two Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles struck at least two buildings.
According to Russian estimates, the successive strikes by two Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles caused hundreds of casualties among the Ukrainian armed forces, with more than ten civilians dead or injured due to the blast waves.
Konotop City in Sumy Oblast of Ukraine is about 32 kilometers from the Russia-Ukraine border and about 45 kilometers from the city of Sudzha in the Kursk Oblast of Russia. It is an important supply base and troop assembly area during the entire offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces into the Kursk Oblast. However, Russian forces did not launch a large-scale bombing on Konotop City in Sumy Oblast, leaving most of the urban area intact. It is said that the target Russian forces are about to capture in Sumy Oblast is Konotop City in Sumy Oblast.
The Ukrainian army requisitioned the university of Sumy Oblast as their base.
These Ukrainian armed forces personnel had just completed their authorization and received medals, and had not been heroes for long, "and collectively went to see Bandera," "the award ceremony site turned into a crematorium," "collectively received the Iskander Grand Medal!" According to reason, the awarding venue and celebration area of the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was neither a communication center radiating signals outward nor an obvious landmark building, and there was no information leakage. How did the Russians achieve such precise strikes? According to the Russian side, someone posted online in advance about holding this award ceremony for the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and then it was seen by the Russians! The Ukrainian army conducted military activities and gathered troops in residential areas, causing civilian casualties. The Ukrainian authorities intentionally did so, treating Ukrainian civilians as insignificant, using them as human shields.
A large number of Ukrainian military personnel appeared on the scene to carry out rescue operations.
The Ukrainian army held award ceremonies in Sumy Oblast, which were actually the remnants of the defeated Ukrainian forces that escaped from Kursk Oblast. Russian forces should have struck harder and followed up with a few more gliding guided bombs. There were still some survivors, including a general from the Ukrainian Security Service who fled, and the Governor of Sumy Oblast. Therefore, holding a military award ceremony for troops in civilian areas by the Ukrainian army was using civilians as human shields. Did they really think Russian forces would not bomb? There have been many examples where both sides in the conflict were hit because they lived together in dormitory buildings for a long time, yet they did not learn their lesson. The Ukrainian army has always hidden military targets within civilian facilities. For example, a Czech RM-70 Vampire rocket launcher was hidden in a mall in Kharkiv, which was bombed by Russian forces. The Ukrainian authorities said there were children's gatherings there. Previously, Russian forces bombed a hotel with foreign mercenaries, and the Ukrainian authorities also claimed there were many civilians dining at the time.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7492870667361075712/
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