Speaking in an interview with Ukrinform Dykyi described how Ukrainian forces in the Sumy region dealt a decisive blow to a Russian convoy leading the advance of the 1st Guards Tank Army Okhtyrka became the first stronghold blocking the Russian invasion route to Kyiv The city's defense bought Ukrainian forces crucial time to regroup and establish stronger defensive positions Dykyi noted that the invading troops had not anticipated Ukrainian resistance without proper reconnaissance or advance patrols A large enemy column covered 40 kilometers in just five hours," he said the Russians relied solely on Orlan unmanned aerial systems for reconnaissance "The Russian column leading the advance of the 1st Guards Tank Army had an unusual even bizarre composition," he revealed "We encountered a unit of paratroopers traveling in a 'Typhoon'—an armored three-axle KamAZ with a six-by-six wheel configuration But the column we disrupted also included the command post of the 96th Reconnaissance Brigade." Dykyi explained that a command post should never move alongside reconnaissance forces as it is the strategic nerve center of a unit and must be heavily protected "But the Russians got it all wrong—their vanguard turned out to be a command post and computers loaded with operational data," he said Dykyi emphasized that Okhtyrka was seen as a mere transit point for Russian forces "This was confirmed by the maps we seized things did not go according to the enemy's plan—Okhtyrka became not just a thorn in their side but a real aspen stake in their path," he said The battle for Okhtyrka and Trostianets began on February 24 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine The active phase of the fighting in Okhtyrka lasted until March 27 While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 Home page » Topics » War » Restoration » How Okhtyrka is being restored To focus on critical infrastructure or restore all damaged objects is a challenging question for Ukraine which is even more pressing for the border settlements in the country’s east and north The proximity to the Russian border does have an impact but it should not be the determining factor in this issue who keep developing urban vision of the city and preserving its historic landmarks despite the wartime threats I n the previous materials of the Restoration project we covered how Ukrainians are rebuilding Kharkiv and settlements north of Kyiv after Russian shelling we will focus on another city recovering from the consequences of the full-scale invasion — Okhtyrka Okhyrka was a village inhabited by Cossacks residents still refer to the city districts using the traditional division into sotnias Okhtyrka developed through crafts and trade which left behind buildings in the historic downtown area The new chapter in the region’s history is closely linked to oil extraction; the Okhtyrka oil district accounts for 50% of Ukraine’s total oil production with the highest level of oil extraction reached in 1990 Okhtyrka is notable as the birthplace of Ivan Bahrianyi the prominent 20th-century Ukrainian writer whose works remain popular with contemporary youth Okhtyrka is located on the border of Poltavshchyna and Slobozhanshchyna The town stood in the way of the Russian army during the full-scale offensive in February 2022 Despite more than a month of intense fighting which nonetheless sustained significant damage roughly fifty kilometres from the Russian border certainly makes an impact on the pace of its restoration local self-government and concerned residents readily share what has already been accomplished so far and what plans lie ahead he served as the head of the traumatological department at the district hospital he and his team remained in the city during the full-scale invasion even though it posed a severe threat to him as a local government representative if Russian troops had occupied Okhtyrka “When I saw on the cameras that enemy vehicles were driving over our flowerbeds As a local government body and as patriots of our country we realised there were two options: either defend ourselves or be killed,” the city head recalls Pavlo stresses that despite suffering significant destruction Locals witnessed the resistance of the Ukrainian military as the enemy attempted to raze the city to the ground ravaged as an act of revenge for not letting the enemy through,” he says 2022: The Russian forces used cluster munitions against a kindergarten where many civilians were taking shelter “Three thermobaric bombs were dropped on our city and it seemed like there was no corner where anyone felt safe.” The large number of wounded and the urgent need for medical assistance prompted Pavlo to take on surgical duties in those early days of the invasion I have saved human lives and health that were lost due to plane crashes occupiers destroyed the Okhtyrka Thermal Power Plant leaving the city without heating and electricity Pavlo views this as an attempt to force submission Despite the ongoing fighting near the city everyone willing to evacuate had the opportunity to do so Pavlo notes that the city authorities deliberately abstained from setting up a green corridor as it would have exposed the evacuation routes to the enemy who could then target the buses carrying civilians Local government representatives volunteered to split the duties which allowed them to navigate this challenging situation up to 26,000 people left the city by the end of March 2022 Pavlo also stresses that the counts are conducted using unconventional methods you can’t know if they were in your community or not when charitable organisations provided various treats a charitable foundation brought two trucks of candies We handed them out to children and counted that we had more than 6,000 children more than 6,000 are back in the city — that’s great Pavlo points out that he sees nothing wrong with people choosing not to return until the end of the all-out war with ongoing shelling and the threat of another attempt to occupy the city After the defence forces drove the enemy out of Okhtyrka during a meeting with the head of the military administration dedicated to reconstruction called for focusing solely on critical infrastructure and civilian housing he used a metaphor comparing the country to a large organism and cities to its organs and prioritised creating conditions for them to simply function — no more “We are not spreading our efforts thin on rebuilding things we can live without today Our task is to form thick granulation tissue to separate ourselves from that overpowering infection and only then to rebuild the entire organism.” Pavlo believes that the state authorities should be more invested in rebuilding thermal power stations; instead they limited their role to providing financial aid everyone thought that reconstruction meant simply providing funds; they voted allocated 80 million [hryvnias] (roughly $2 million – ed.) Pavlo believes that recovery efforts during wartime need to be more centralised as they involve complex projects requiring thorough research one of your relatives or loved ones needs urgent surgery You can vote on what kind of anaesthesia to use gather those who need to vote — these will be parents and children; then decide who will perform the surgery Someone needs to take responsibility at this time.” Pavlo agrees that the city authorities should be proactive in the reconstruction efforts but emphasises that some processes need to be adapted to the realities of war he believes that allowing the executive committee to make reconstruction decisions instead of the city council would expedite the efforts The local budget allocated funds for restoring the damaged apartment building along with one of the five boilers of the power plant It turned out that this was sufficient for now “To start rebuilding a facility like the thermal power station we needed to develop a heating scheme for the city some organisations that used its heat no longer exist so restoring the Okhtyrka Thermal Power Plant to its full capacity was no longer necessary.” In 2022, Okhtyrka’s local self-government created an electronic platform called EPKO (Electronic Platform for Communication – ed.) to manage donor assistance according to the requests of Okhtyrka residents. Its concept resembles the government initiative DREAM, which we featured in the piece on the restoration of Irpin while DREAM involves community registration EPKO functions as a register of individuals whose homes were destroyed or damaged due to the full-scale war helping them to restore their accommodation through the mediation of the city authorities Pavlo summarises that the overall restoration of Okhtyrka is funded through several sources: state funds for critical infrastructure Many Okhtyrka residents participated in the eVidnovlennia state program Pavlo points out that the local authorities immediately faced a shortage of personnel to inspect homes and assess the damage they had to adapt to frequent changes in the program as developers gradually updated it based on user feedback in which recipients spent funds inappropriately or resold building materials the state puts efforts into enhancing accounting and transparency to prevent such incidents from repeating Pavlo is pleased that Okhtyrka has many active young people who plan to stay in the city and have initiated the Okhtyrka: Urban-Vision project dedicated to the city’s future development “These young people have travelled abroad and compared [Okhtyrka] to other European cities and Ukrainian cities They have seen many [things that are] better than what we have But they have also seen that our city is quite beautiful as well.” Pavlo believes that the city’s future should be envisioned within the context of a united territorial community which consists of Okhtyrka and the nearby settlements near the border with Russia He believes that this approach will positively impact the reconstruction efforts “There should be one large Okhtyrka community extending to the border a fortified community that can quickly make decisions and build whatever is needed Okhtyrka had a population of approximately 48,000 people Many residents fled in the early days of the invasion when the Russians started shelling the city the city population accounted for roughly 43,000 people indicating that most residents had returned home Many took advantage of the governmental eRecovery program which provided financial assistance for repairing homes damaged by hostilities One of the program’s beneficiaries is Tetiana Mikhel who lives near the damaged power station – she left shortly after the Russians destroyed this critical infrastructure object I went to Poltava and from Poltava to Odesa; I wanted to go home from Odesa but I was put on a train and ended up in Germany.” Tetiana stayed in Dresden for over a year but chose to return despite her home being damaged by the shelling: windows and doors were broken or water in her home due to the extent of the damage but it started leaking again after another shelling Tetiana says that she returned because her dog was waiting for her at home and because representatives from the Administrative Services Center (a nationwide network of state facilities providing administrative services in Ukraine – ed.) and the police documented the damage to her home while charitable organisations helped cover the remaining expenses a member of the Street Culture Development Center non-profit he was the one to launch the urban development plan Okhtyrka: Urban-Vision Pavlo believes that every city and town has unique potential and should emphasise its authenticity After the defence forces pushed the enemy out of northern Ukraine and news of reconstructing settlements near Kyiv began spreading he started thinking about how and when Okhtyrka would be restored “I remember looking at other cities that were discussing reconstruction while we were sitting idle It seemed like we were the outpost – we met the enemy and fought them back; yet nothing had been happening here since then.” urban planners and architects from the Urban Reforms organisation who were implementing similar projects in Kharkiv and Kyiv They suggested working on an urban vision for the city — a kind of an informal guide that can assist professionals who develop the official master plan This primarily involves identifying Okhtyrka’s strengths and weaknesses allowing residents to voice their opinions and identifying the pillars on which the future development should be based With the support of international partners Urban Reforms provided a grant to Pavlo’s team the local authorities eventually supported the initiative we managed to explain to them how important this is for the city — not for them but for the city and its future restoration.” Pavlo calls the urban vision a project of shared vision It employed various interactive approaches to ensure that everyone could express their opinions people were given a map of Okhtyrka and asked to mark the places that needed improvement “If we are talking about restoration and modern practices then it is worth considering the community’s opinion Nothing for Okhtyrka without Okhtyrka’s residents was the main principle of this vision.” The vision also considered the interests of Okhtyrka’s numerous farmers and small businesses One of the most difficult issues for discussion was the future of the sites where people died due to Russian strikes Another focus of the vision was the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage promotion is one of the key components primarily for attracting tourism the project team focused on issues related to youth leisure The focus on skateboarding came from its popularity in the city Pavlo calls this space a universal place for developing street culture and facilitating youth communication Pavlo acknowledges that the proximity to the border with the aggressor profoundly impacts city life he stresses the importance of believing in a better future and continuing to make progress while considering the risks “Kharkiv residents will understand me: the most important thing for us right now is not to become a forgotten outpost Russians launched aerial bombs on the centre of Okhtyrka numerous historical monuments suffered damage an Empire-style building erected at the beginning of the 20th century and renamed the House of Culture in 1932 The building serves as the primary venue for events for residents of Okhtyrka and neighbouring settlements the building underwent renovations to its lighting and sound systems and a new sound recording studio was set up on its premises Although the facility is located in Okhtyrka it formally belongs to the neighbouring Chernechchyna community which has taken on the responsibility for its renovation mentioned that significant progress had already been achieved by the beginning of summer 2022 This includes repairing the roof and preparing project estimates necessary to complete the restoration when peaceful times return “It’s not a matter of complete restoration because the time is not yet ripe for this The community covered part of the work at their own expense and also posted information about the People’s House on the DREAM platform to find partners for further restoration their contribution helped to launch a multifunctional shelter hosting events for informal education (including chess club and workshops) art therapy for internally displaced persons This was made possible because young people participated in the project “Human Dimension: Effective Governance through Data and Community Engagement” USAID provided the People’s House with a generator allowing the facility administration to hold events during power outages the People’s House functioned as a venue for rehearsals and events while also serving as a distribution centre for humanitarian aid to displaced people and military personnel Ruslan points out that this was not the first time the building’s purpose had changed during wartime; during World War I and perhaps the true value of this house lies in its embodiment of unity […] Community residents know that if any aid is being collected for the soldiers everyone should bring it to the House of Culture we managed to collect a substantial amount of food from the entire Chernechchyna community in just half a day Then we delivered it in a KAMAZ truck to the frontline for the soldiers of the 93rd Brigade who were defending Okhtyrka in the first months of the [full-scale] war.” the director of the local youth centre who is also involved in the restoration process the building’s symbolism is further enhanced by the fact that it has served as a workplace for prominent figures such as actors Natalia Uzhvii and Amvrosii Buchma (prominent Ukrainian 20th-century actors – ed.) for the youth of Okhtyrka — I know this because I work mostly with young people — it is a kind of symbol And if we talk about any cultural events and discussions this work [by Ivan Bahrianyi] is always mentioned It is very pleasing that the youth are interested in all this and are trying to popularise this history.” Oktyrka was home to the merchant and philanthropist Hryhorii Chykalo Several buildings he funded have survived to this day which was once one of the largest buildings in the city Its two floors were constructed from stone: the first floor now houses a restaurant and a teahouse while the second floor features rooms with a view of Rynok Square was later restored and repurposed as a garrison officers’ house Local youth spearheaded the efforts to address this issue; among them is Vladyslav Liubarets a cultural activist and representative of the community youth centre with nearly every building being a historic site Vladyslav believes that the restoration of the city should encompass its cultural and historic sites significantly impacting the city’s identity and perception He considers the settlement’s image and historical character among the key factors why people choose to stay there these structures may seem insignificant and unnecessary they shape the unique architectural face of our merchant city not all locals associate the building with Okhtyrka’s merchant history “Okhtyrka’s residents have different memories of this building others associate it with watching movies; some recall its beautiful spiral staircase the Chykalo family hotel will be transformed into an art space and a recreational hub for youth He also hopes that businesspeople who purchase such buildings with the intention of converting them into commercial properties will realise that their historical significance adds value that can be leveraged to their advantage Coordinator of the partnerships department: Editor-in-Chief of Ukraїner International: Involved in the preparation of the material 43 volunteers Project support: Fundacja Euromaidan-Warszawa Use of materials is only permitted upon providing the source: Ukrainer.net Дизайн — Артем Зубкевич Розробка — Deluxcode That’s according to the regional military administration As a result of the strike involving three drones an administrative building at an enterprise outbuildings and kiosks in the market were damaged One outbuilding caught fire," the administration reported via Telegram Emergency services are working at the site of the strikes Russia’s Shahed drones massively attacked Kryvyi Rih Illustrative photo / State Emergency Service Russian forces carried out airstrikes on the city of Okhtyrka in Ukraine’s Sumy region overnight on March 26. The attack damaged civilian infrastructure, including a market area, and triggered a fire, according to the Telegram channel of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Russian forces used drones in the overnight attack on Okhtyrka The regional administration reported that strikes from three drones caused damage in the city regional authorities reported a fire in one of the utility buildings "Emergency and rescue services are working at the scene," the administration said releasing photos of the aftermath of the drone attack on the city Fire in Okhtyrka after a Russian drone attack on the night of March 26 (photo: t.me/Sumy_news_ODA) Russian forces launched attack drones toward Ukraine air raid alerts were declared in several regions Earlier, we also reported that Russian forces carried out a massive kamikaze drone attack on Kryvyi Rih The Shahed strikes caused significant destruction in the city Additionally, a series of explosions was heard near the city of Cherkasy overnight. Before that, enemy drones had been detected moving toward the area. City in north-east Ukraine is a rubble-strewn shadow of the place it once was, but its mayor is unbowed This article is more than 3 years old‘After the victory’: ruined city of Okhtyrka clings to hope of brighter futureThis article is more than 3 years oldCity in north-east Ukraine is a rubble-strewn shadow of the place it once was, but its mayor is unbowed a surgeon by profession and the mayor of Okhtyrka by appointment offered a rough tally as he drove through the streets of his city Not that long ago potholes were among his biggest headaches “Three people there.” He preferred not to offer an overall death toll so as “not to frighten the citizens” That number could be told “after the victory” victory appears as far off as the peace that Okhtyrka enjoyed less than a month ago which sits in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy region bustling city that was home to about 48,000 people smoke-choked and rubble-strewn shadow of the place it once was 1:18Ukraine drone footage shows scale of destruction in Okhtyrka – videoMore than half Okhtyrka’s population have fled and reports that it has been razed are hardly fanciful pummelled with an explosive ferocity that has flipped over some of the heavy freight wagons a shopping centre and a local cultural centre A single bomb managed to obliterate three houses and destroy the windows and balconies of a pair of nine-storey buildings 100 metres away A large crater has been gouged in the ground and a persistent smoke rises from the splintered wood and atomised masonry spewed on to the streets Pavlo Kuzmenko stands by a large crater Photograph: Nataliya Gumenyuk/The Guardian“Two elderly ladies died in these houses today,” said Kuzmenko pointing to the results of the latest Russian strike Destroyed houses in Okhtyrka Photograph: Nataliya Gumenyuk/The GuardianFor all the talk and predictions of cyberwarfare and disinformation that followed the last Russian invasion in 2014 Putin’s latest war is an old-fashioned one of maps which was taken out not by a cyber-attack but by a bomb but people are struggling – especially when temperatures drop to -12C at night among them elderly people who have nowhere to go and do not want to leave their homes The mayor’s professional training has proved invaluable when there were many victims,” Kuzmenko said It’s completely different compared to peacetime We have been preparing for some injuries from miles and explosions but studying theory and practising are different things.” it’s hard to fathom what could have made this small city such a target and why at least 100 civilians appear to have been killed and did not greet the Russians with flowers,” Kuzmenko said The mayor said he had spoken to Russian prisoners of war who confessed that they had expected to be in Kyiv within two days A bombed shopping centre in the downtown area Photograph: Nataliya Gumenyuk/The GuardianOkhtyrka also has an ineluctable geographical and strategic importance It lies in the middle of a triangle that can be drawn between three regional centres – Sumy Kharkiv and Poltava – and is just 37 miles from the Russian border Had the Russian troops occupied it straight away the road to Poltava would have been opened and Ukraine’s second city New but already familiar routines are emerging amid the bombardment When they are not hiding in the basement of a kindergarten a team of residents set about clearing the debris People no longer rush for cover when they hear the distant detonations They know the most dangerous attacks take place when it is dark the Ukrainian forces who control Okhtyrka can pinpoint sources of fire and shoot back An attack on an Okhtyrka kindergarten killed three people according to Amnesty International Photograph: Nataliya Gumenyuk/The GuardianWithout being on the ground forensic experts are reluctant to identify the type of weaponry that is being used in an indiscriminate attempt to destroy Okhtyrka piece by piece But the Ukrainian military suggest it could include Tochka-U missiles and rockets According to Amnesty International, an attack on an Okhtyrka kindergarten on 25 February – which killed three people, including a child, as they sought shelter – involved widely banned cluster munitions from a 220mm Uragan rocket “This is from a BM-27 Uragan multiple rocket launcher system,” said Vlad as he examined the debris at the kindergarten Vlad Photograph: Nataliya Gumenyuk/The GuardianThe Kremlin claims it was attacking a military target But Amnesty says the strike may constitute a war crime “I live next to the kindergarten which was shelled,” said Halyna “I saw the blood near the entrance to my house her youngest boy would not stop screaming and crying “My son survived a clinical death a year ago – I pulled him out of a coma,” she said “And my daughter has a stent in her kidney I didn’t save my children only to lose them now.” But she had decided she and her children must stay in Okhtyrka so she can help those in need Halyna Photograph: Nataliya Gumenyuk/The GuardianShe juggles the volunteering with going to funerals of people she knew “But I don’t want to talk more about death had just buried a friend he had known for 15 years “We do not have time to honour our people properly The Russians thought that people would say ‘Putin Vlad the soldier said proudly that opposition in and around Okhyrka had helped slow the Russian invasion in its first hours But taking the city still matters to the Russians had intended to focus on Okhyrka’s renovation and on sorting out the holes in its poor roads Now he was examining bomb craters and dispatching people to risk their lives as they tried to repair gas “Okhtyrka is the frontier between civilised and uncivilised worlds It’s us who are stopping this criminal advance,” he said Ukraine’s skies needed to be closed off and the 1994 Budapest memorandum – under which Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in return for security assurance from Russia Curfew was approaching but there was still time for a few more stops on the tour. As we moved from site to site, the mayor allowed himself glimpses of how Okhtyrka would look “after the victory”. In the ruins of the railway station, he envisioned a splendid new building made of glass. In spite of the ceaseless bombing, the deaths and the daily funerals, Kuzmenko was not the only one looking past the debris of the present and towards a phoenix-like future for Okhtyrka. When would the war be over, we asked Halyna, the lab assistant. “Honestly, I believe that when the tulips bloom, the war will end. I believe it,” she said. “I see how the town is dying in front of our eyes, but we’re young, and those who have left will return to rebuild it. Our dear Okhtyrka will stand, and our Ukraine will last. We will welcome spring with joy. We will go to our beaches. We will take a rest in our green meadows and hills. We will enjoy the beauty here.” Nataliya Gumenyuk is a Ukrainian journalist and the director of Public Interest Journalism Lab marking the country's 35th center of its kind11 September 5:12 PM EESTThis is the third recruitment center of the Ukrainian Army opened in the Sumy region following the centers operating in the cities of Shostka and Sumy individuals can seek consultation and potentially apply: 5 Nezalezhnosti St (the premises of the city’s Administrative Services Center) Specially educated non-military recruiters are also on hand for advice They can be reached by the following phone numbers: +38 (066) 372 2793 “The commencement of these centers is a result of the Ministry of Defence's initiative coupled with the assistance of district and regional military administrations We are certain that this marks the way forward for our Armed Forces with motivated defenders in service,” said Volodymyr Artiukh head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration This is the third Recruitment Center of the Ukrainian Army in Sumy region It was opened in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence Shostka and Sumy have previously had similar centers established Even though the first center in the region opened in May and the second one at the end of July 339 people have already reached out for advice The Sumy region sees a high number of women among the candidates joining the Defence Forces The recruitment center will not serve call-up papers individuals can contact recruiters and start the process of joining the army with call-up papers to clarify their data this whole story is about everyone's choice I encourage people in the community to get in touch with the center and visit non-military location that do not distribute call-up papers you will be advised professionally on your potential defense contributions,” stated Oleksii Bezhevets recruitment officer for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence Please visit the official website for more up-to-date information about Recruitment Centers: https://recruiting.mod.gov.ua/ BETAThe functionality works in the mode of experimental operation This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page This was reported by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) in Sumy region on Telegram and the blast wave damaged non-residential buildings The SES personnel promptly extinguished the fire outbreaks and evacuated residents from the damaged premises," the report stated The SES bomb disposal team also removed explosive devices from the site A mobile Point of Invincibility was deployed by rescue workers at the scene Emergency repair work is now underway at the impact sites Ukrinform reported that Russian forces attacked Okhtyrka overnight with drones No one is sure where the bit of metal came from Three victims were never found at all; one of the bodies that was recovered had to be buried without a head The boiler room is now several feet underground The pipes that once fed gas into it have been shredded overseeing building work he says will eventually bring it back to life who fought for the Soviet Union during its occupation of Afghanistan says there is no alternative if he is to heat 10,000 apartments through the winter: “The town will die without us.” This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Cold front” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents George Simion will face Nicusor Dan, a mainstream candidate, in a run-off There are five luxuries it can no longer feasibly afford Friedrich Merz’s career is one of unforced errors and puzzling missteps. But he is serious about Europe Both Donald Trump and Ukraine’s diplomats will consider it a success Which language would you like to use this site in A preschool in north-eastern Ukraine was hit on the morning of 25 February with widely-banned cluster munitions while civilians took shelter inside The attack appears to have been carried out by Russian forces and which have a shameful record of using cluster munitions in populated areas Amnesty International has confirmed that a 220mm Uragan rocket dropped cluster munitions on the Sonechko nursery and kindergarten in the town of Okhtyrka in Sumy Oblast where local people were seeking safety from the fighting There is no possible justification for dropping cluster munitions in populated areas “There is no possible justification for dropping cluster munitions in populated areas let alone near a school,” said Agnès Callamard Secretary-General of Amnesty International “This attack bears all the hallmarks of Russia’s use of this inherently indiscriminate and internationally-banned weapon and shows flagrant disregard for civilian life.” The strike violates the prohibition on indiscriminate attacks and damaged a school a structure legally entitled to special protection Under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions — a treaty backed by more than 100 states but which Ukraine and Russia have not joined — the use stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions is prohibited under all circumstances Customary international humanitarian law prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions Launching indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians constitutes a war crime Drone video footage taken from the scene shows that cluster munitions struck at least seven locations on or near the building four on the roof and three on the pavement immediately outside the school Two injured or dead civilians are also visible in the footage An additional 65 photos and videos that Amnesty International acquired from a local source shows more details of the scene there were immediate explosions,” an older man told a contact working with Amnesty International carries 30 9N210 or 9N235 cluster munitions which are nearly identical and differ only in the length of the time delay of their self-destruct feature The seven impacts on and near the school show damage including distinctive spalling on the ground consistent with the expected damage from 9N210/9N235 cluster munitions As first reported by the open source investigation organization Bellingcat, the remains of the nose cone and cargo compartment of the 9M27K rocket were discovered 200 metres to the east. Open source reports indicate there were Russian forces to the west of Okhtyrka the source of the rocket launch based upon the flight trajectory A logistics storage yard 300 metres north of the school may have been the target of the attack like the 220mm Uragan rockets used in this attack and should never be used in civilian populated areas In addition, because they scatter munitions over a wide area and have an extremely high dud rate of up to 20% — and because of the consequent threat they pose to civilians — cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate weapons that are internationally banned by a treaty backed by more than 100 states The use of these weapons violates the prohibition on indiscriminate attacks This is the fourth attack in this conflict that has struck a school that Amnesty International has verified during increased shelling along the line of control Russian-backed forces struck a kindergarten in the town of Stanytsia Luhanska blowing in windows and pockmarking the walls with metal fragments hit the second story of a kindergarten in Chernihiv starting a fire that was likely detected by VIIRS environmental satellite sensors False-colour infrared imagery highlights the fire visible in imagery captured at 0849 UTC on 26 February 2022 Environmental sensors aboard NASA/NOAA satellites also twice detected hotspots in Chernihiv on 26 February 2022 educational facilities are entitled to heightened protections as long as they are not used for military purposes (None of the schools damaged in the incidents documented by Amnesty International appear to have been used for military purposes.) Parties to a conflict are required to take special care to avoid destroying or damaging them a requirement that Russian forces do not appear to be meeting judging from the growing number of attacks this should be investigated as a war crime “It is stomach turning to see an indiscriminate attack on a nursery and kindergarten where civilians are seeking safe-haven this should be investigated as a war crime,” said Agnès Callamard any person who commits war crimes should be held individually accountable before the International Criminal Court (ICC) or another international criminal justice process at the national or international level It is imperative that UN member states and the ICC urgently consider how to ensure the timely and effective collection and preservation of evidence of any crimes under international law committed in Ukraine.” While Russia and Ukraine are not parties to the ICC in 2015 Ukraine accepted the court’s jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed on its territory from 20 February 2014 people in Ukraine are facing a catastrophic human rights crisis Take action to demand that the Russian authorities stop this act of aggression and protect civilians now Together we can fight for human rights everywhere Your donation can transform the lives of millions If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information Ukraine’s Defense Ministry shared footage of the apparent aftermath of Russian shelling on the town of Okhtyrka in north-east Ukraine rocket attacks were reported over the weekend which hit a barracks in the town located in the Sumy region near the border with Russia Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday visited the cities of Okhtyrka and Trostyanets in the Sumy region in the country’s northeast where he addressed soldiers on the occasion of their defense and liberation where he noted that the city experienced heavy losses and strikes from Russian fighter jets and multiple launch rocket systems we honor the true Cossack courage and indomitability of our people Those who destroyed the Russian convoys here and thus disrupted the entire plan of the enemy against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said he underlined the heroics of locals and voiced his honor in giving Okhtyrka the honorary title of "Hero City." Okhtyrka is one of 10 cities that were given the honorary title of Hero City of Ukraine in March 2022 for their resistance since the start of Russia’s “special military operation” in the country Zelenskyy further said Ukraine will never forgive the “crimes” committed by Russia on Ukrainian soil "Justice is the most important thing for us today so we will not forgive what was done against Ukrainians We will bring to justice all murderers from the Russian Federation And we will not leave a single wound inflicted by this war on the body of our state,” he noted Zelenskyy also said they will rebuild “absolutely everything that was destroyed” and do everything to revive all cities and villages in the region where he said the events that transpired in the region are not only reflective of the “pages of the heroic history of communities but above all about the character of Ukrainians who will win this war.” "Ukrainian character is the character of people who do not accept aggression which is felt from birth and is not forgotten until the last breath This is the character of courage that allows you to kill even the enemy that the whole world was afraid of,” he said He further noted that they continue fighting “for freedom for the liberation of such cities as Trostyanets "Our people proved that the occupier will be defeated by us helped our intelligence to protect our state," he added “Volodymyr Zelenskyy also got himself acquainted with the reconstruction projects of the Trostyanets railway station and the station square,” a statement by the Ukrainian presidency read Russia used the potent vacuum bomb during its invasion of Ukraine told reporters on Monday night after a meeting with U.S works by taking in oxygen to create powerful such an attack could constitute a war crime “They used the vacuum bomb today,” Markarova said The bomb destroyed a Ukrainian army base in the northeastern town of Okhtyrka, killing 70 soldiers, Sumy region administrative chief Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said on his Telegram channel. Images from the scene showed the middle third of a main building gutted by the blast Okhtyrka Mayor Pavel Kuzmenko described the weapon used in the attack as a vacuum bomb Ukrainian media have carried eyewitness video of the blast the White House said it had not independently verified the incidents “I don’t have any confirmation of that,” said White House spokesperson Jen Psaki it would potentially be a war crime.”  EU executive is planning a two-track approach of incentives and retaliatory measures to convince the White House to strike a deal The draft U.K.-EU agreement is one of several being drawn up ahead of a May 19 summit Even the EU’s most protectionist countries are realizing that they need new friends to trade with as their oldest ally goes rogue By Jason FaragoHaley WillisSarah Kerr and Ainara TiefenthälerDec with its century-old collection of literature where a 19th-century wooden church was destroyed its ice-blue facade and little steeple succumbing to flames Russia’s invasion has systematically destroyed Ukrainian cultural sites A Times investigation has identified 339 that sustained substantial damage this year By Jason Farago, Sarah Kerr, Ainara Tiefenthäler and Haley Willis A nation that forgets its past has no future.”Dmytro Chernytsia “I very often dream at night that I’m walking around the city and I look around and I want to cry.”Diana Serbina “I have a dream that the palace will celebrate its centenary Seven years are enough for reconstruction.”Inna Trush “The destruction of libraries is like cutting out a part of our heart.”Svitlana Moiseeva SATELLITE IMAGERY Maxar TechnologiesVIDEO The Railway Workers’ House of Science and Technology Horlivka Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church via Facebook Ministry of Defense of Ukraine via Storyful Social Movement Donetsk Republic via Telegram The Railway Workers’ House of Science and Technology Alexey Maishev/Sputnik via Associated Press Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Genya Savilov/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Juan Barreto/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Oleksandr Gimanov/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Pavlo_Bagmut/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images Sergei Supinsky/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Sergey Bobok/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Sievierodonetsk Diocese Yasuyoshi Chiba/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images.MAPS Institute for the Study of War with American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project (control areas through Nov Areas of Russian control do not include areas of temporary advances or troop movements Design and development Sean Catangui and Gabriel Gianordoli Graphics Tim WallaceEditors Sameen Amin Bailey and David BottiAdditional reporting Oleh ChuprynskyiAdditional production Christina Kelso and Ishaan JhaveriTranslation Oleh Chuprynskyi Nastya Kuznietsova and Yelena ShmulensonAdditional research Anya Vlasenko "Russian aviation again bombed residential areas at about 00:30 on March 10 There is information about a bomb hitting a gas pipeline The information is being clarified," Dmytro Zhyvytskyy Head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Zhyvytskyy noted that Okhtyrka was being bombed every day and night the town's infrastructure had been destroyed Russian troops fired Grad multiple rocket launcher systems on kindergartens and a military unit in Okhtyrka Subsequent attacks completely destroyed sewerage president Putin announced the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Russian troops are shelling and destroying key infrastructure massively hitting residential areas of Ukrainian towns and villages using artillery Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war Isabel joined Newsweek in 2021 and had previously worked with news outlets including the Daily Express You can get in touch with Isabel by emailing i.vanbrugen@newsweek.com or by following her on X @isabelvanbrugen either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Ukrainian children have reportedly been injured after Russian forces targeted a kindergarten in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba on Friday called for an investigation following reports that Russia launched an attack on a kindergarten and an orphanage in Okhtyrka "Today's Russian attacks on a kindergarten and an orphanage are war crimes and violations of the Rome Statute," he said in a statement on Twitter "Together with the General Prosecutor's Office we are collecting this and other facts which we will immediately send to the Hague." Local news outlet the Kyiv Independent reported that there are casualties and severely injured people Have received this photo from several official Ukrainian sources; the unedited photo shows at least two dead persons prostrated on the ground. https://t.co/1j8VjXkXRD the executive director of Netherlands-based investigative news outlet Bellingcat said he received an image from several official Ukrainian sources that showed the scene of the attack "The unedited photo shows at least two dead persons prostrated on the ground," said Grozev on Twitter The news comes amid reports that Russian troops descended on the streets of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv on Friday, and a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine Ukraine's ministry of defense called on citizens to prepare Molotov cocktails to fight off invading Russian troops as Russian forces appeared to have infiltrated a residential district of Kyiv "We urge citizens to inform us of troop movements and neutralize the enemy," the ministry said on social media "We ask citizens to inform about the movement of equipment! Make Molotov cocktails, neutralize the occupier!" The ministry said in a Twitter post on Friday An air raid alert was also issued in Kyiv on Friday The press service of the Kyiv City State Administration told citizens to head to the nearest shelter "immediately." German tabloid newspaper Bild reported on Friday that there had been "heavy fighting in the northern districts of Kyiv." "So far I've only seen Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicles but there seem to be Russian paratroopers," Bild correspondent Julian Röpcke said on Twitter a freelance journalist int he capital tweeted that clashes had broken out near Ukraine's capital Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that Russia would be ready for talks if Ukraine's military surrendered "We are ready for negotiations at any moment as soon as the armed forces of Ukraine respond to our call and lay down their arms," Lavrov said "Demilitarisation and de-Nazification" is Putin's ultimate goal "Russian President Vladimir Putin took the decision to conduct a special military operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine so that Ukrainians themselves could freely determine their future," he added Russia's defense ministry said Friday that its forces killed more than 200 personnel from Ukraine's special forces during the capture of the Gostomel airfield an international cargo airport in the suburbs of Kyiv For the latest updates on the conflict follow Newsweek's live blog. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all "We appreciate that Germany plays a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine throughout the years of war Ukraine is also grateful for your personal commitment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 2:23 am)Drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5 Far-right Euroskeptic candidate George Simion head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan placed second with 20.99% of the vote and the candidate from the ruling coalition "It requires the continuation of contacts between Moscow and Washington which have been launched and are now ongoing," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said set to operate within the Council of Europe will focus on Russia's political and military leaders up to 20 Russian soldiers were killed and their equipment destroyed The move represents an apparent violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions passed in the wake of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests by Igor Kossov, Daryna ShevchenkoPeople are seen outside the cordoned off area around the remains of a shell in a street in Kyiv on Feb 2022 after Russia launched an all-out war on Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)Russian forces have launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb as they pushed in from multiple directions Multiple Ukrainian cities and villages were shelled while ground forces have begun invading multiple parts of the country The following is a live blog of the Russian attacks on the second day of the invasion, Feb. 25. (See the first day here). Kyiv: A series of loud explosions is reported by locals in Kyiv’s Obolon (near the Heroiv Dnipra metro station) and Troeyshchyna areas The attack might have targeted a combined power and heating plant in Troyeshchyna Five explosions confirmed near Kyiv’s Heat Power Plant-6 Donetsk Oblast: A Russian missile hit a school building in Mariupol Cherkasy: Air raid alert sounded in Cherkasy Air strikes are expected in the city within the next one or two hours says the head of the Oblast State Administration Oleksandr Skichko Odesa: Locals report continuous gunfire in the downtown of Odesa Kharkiv: Kharkiv residents are strongly advised to stay in shelters The city is being shelled from many directions Russian forces are moving from the Russian border Kyiv Oblast: Severe fights continue in Bucha In Bucha Ukrainian army forces stopped a column of armored vehicles  Russian soldiers abandoned the vehicles and retreated Ukrainian soldiers are fighting the attack of Russians in the Vyshgorod direction Vyshgorod is one of the closest Kyiv satellite towns It takes 10 to 15 minutes to get from Vyshgorod to the northern Kyiv by car Four civilians were killed and 15 more injured The information was confirmed by Kyiv Oblast Administration Poltava Oblast: A Russian helicopter shelled a column of Ukrainian armored vehicles near Pyryatyn on the Kharkiv-Kyiv highway all of them taken to a local hospital in Pyryatyn in the center of the city was shelled by сluster rocket runways Three cadets of the National Guard were injured Kharkiv is being shelled by volley fire systems Hrad from inside the city: one residential district to another Kherson: The Ukrainian Army lost control of the Dnipro River crossing in the southern city of Kherson after a severe battle that lasted for hours The city of Kherson is still controlled by Ukraine Kyiv Oblast: Russian militants in black uniforms with red sleeve stripes seized control over a residential complex in Bucha then changed into civilian clothes and went into the nearby forest Kharkiv Oblast: Russian missiles hit two multi-story residential buildings in Kharkiv Windows were broken from a strike in both buildings A high pressure gas pipeline was damaged during another shelling in Kharkiv Oblast more than 500 families in Oskil village and a psychoneurological boarding school nearby are left without gas supply More than 200 families in two more villages in Kharkiv Oblast are in the same situation due to a damaged medium pressure gas pipeline Chernihiv: Two missiles hit an SBU building in Chernihiv The information was confirmed by Chernihiv Oblast’s State Emergency Service A missile hit one of Ukraine’s biggest grain elevators (stotages) in Zhytomyr Oblast Black Sea: A Russian ship hit two foreign sea vessels near Pivdennyi (Southern) port - Romania’s bunker ship “Millenium Spirit” and Panama’s “NAMURA QUEEN.” The latter was heading to the port to load grain A fire tug ship “P&O STAR” came to the rescue Interior Ministry's spokesman Vadym Denysenko said that Ukraine eliminated all the sabotage groups in Kyiv Ukraine’s military vehicles enter the city to provide additional support to the local forces 18 thousand weapons were distributed among volunteers who joined Territorial defense in Ukraine’s capital a small town in Sumy Oblast shelled by a Hurricane missile system The missiles hit a storage facility and a kindergarten The information is confirmed by the Sumy military administration Kyiv Oblast: The Russian army shelled an orphanage in Vorzel presumably from volley fire systems Hrad according to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova There were 50 children in the building at the moment Kharkiv Oblast: Ukraine’s fighter jet Mig-29 shot down Russia’s Su-35 in the sky over Kharkiv Oblast Donetsk Oblast: Heavy fighting in Mariupol continues According to the city’s mayor Vadym Boychenko battles go on in all directions Rivne: An air raid alert was declared in Rivne Kyiv: In Kyiv’s northern Obolon district a Russian tank ran over a civilian car with a driver in it – twice and apparently on purpose Chernihiv Oblast: Units of Ukraine's North Operational Command destroyed 20 Russian tanks in Chernihiv oblast The units also destroyed a Russian vehicle column moving on Chernihiv according to the Verkhovna Rada's Telegram channel Mariupol: Mariupol mayor Vadim Boychenko confirmed that the stronghold city of Mariupol is under attack "Today we aren't just defending our land but the land of all of Ukraine Taras Dzyuba, a Ukrainian expert on countering disinformation, posted an image of a burnt-out partly demolished residential building with all its windows blown out and its balconies falling apart it would mean that Russian forces are hitting civilian targets Obolon residents have been urged to stay in their homes unless an air raid siren sounds This seems to contradict the Interior Ministry's earlier encouragement to go out and stop or slow down the attackers The previously surrounded city of Konotop in Sumy Oblast has fallen to the Russians A rocket fired at a residential neighborhood in Kharkiv failed to explode The mayor of Mariupol said there are recon and sabotage elements already in the city The Ministry of Interior released a diagram telling people how to make Molotov cocktails It's also instructing people to block the advance of Russian vehicles using cars or just by coming out and filming them on their phones Russian armored vehicles drove over a civilian car A video uploaded to a Telegram channel showed people trying to pull the driver out Shooting has been reported in or near the government quarter in central Kyiv by witnesses Top Ukrainian officials believe that the Russians' target may be the head of state President Volodymyr Zelensky remains in Kyiv A long line of vehicles is trying to pull out of Kyiv heading West people who remain are standing near bomb shelters as intermittent sirens and explosions are occasionally heard Evacuation buses en route to pick up people from the town of Shchastya in Luhansk Oblast came under Grad rocket fire the head of the district administration Serhiy Haiday wrote on Facebook NBC reported that the residents have been hiding in bomb shelters and life has largely ground to a halt Russian forces have reportedly entered Obolon one of the capital city's outlying districts Journalists on Twitter reported fighting there According to a government Telegram channel recon elements have been spotted in the area Citizens were urged to "make Molotov cocktails" and defeat the enemy Russian saboteurs who captured Ukrainian armored personnel carriers and dressed in the uniforms of Ukrainian soldiers have been apprehended and shot Fighting reportedly took place in the city of Melitopol in Zaporizhia oblast with Russian forces trying to take a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) building According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Russian forces are trying to go around Chernihiv and attack the capital after an earlier attempt to take Chernihiv was unsuccessful Sirens have been activated in central Kyiv after several explosions could be heard in the vicinity Sirens were also activated in the Western city of Lviv A missile strike hit the airport in the city of Rivne but caused no serious damage Additional multiple rumbling sounds heard not far from center of Kyiv according to Ukrainska Pravda intelligence sources: intensify attacks along the border as saboteurs disconnect the city from electricity and communications and organize arson and looting to create more panic The plan would also entail a cyber attack on government websites followed by inducing more panic to create "uncontrolled columns of refugees'' from Kyiv to block highways and hinder movement of Ukrainian troops Russian forces would try to capture and hold government buildings Their desired goal is to seize the leadership of the state (whom that is is not specified) and force them to sign a peace agreement on Russian terms Even if part of the country's leadership is evacuated some pro-Russian politicians will be able to "take responsibility" and sign documents citing the "escape" of the political leadership from Kyiv The end result would be a partition of Ukraine The Biden administration has warned Russian forces are about 32 kilometers away from Kyiv The officials say those are Russian mechanized forces that had entered Ukraine through Belarus Shelling in the city of Starobilsk caused six apartment buildings to ignite Contact has been lost with the city's first responders Several loud explosions were heard near central Kyiv Two residential buildings in Kyiv are on fire from intercepted unidentified enemy aircraft According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine Buildings that were hit by the debris are on 7A Koshytsia Street The Russian military has established road checkpoints on Kyiv-Sumy highway The city of Konotop in Sumy Oblast has been encircled by Russian forces according to the head of the Sumy administration A large military force is now moving towards Kyiv Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications gave the following update Ukrainian forces are conducting an organized defense in the south and have engaged in defensive battles east of Kherson Ukraine's mechanized forces reportedly defeated Russians in Rykovo district mechanized units have taken position on certain borders Defensive engagements are also being conducted in Volchansk Bily Kolodets and Prykolotno in Kharkiv oblast The navy is engaged in the south-western part of the Black Sea Meanwhile more forces have been moved in to defend Kyiv.