Russian Bombing Kills Civilians in Southern Ukrainian City \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Russian glide bombs and artillery targeted Kherson in southern Ukraine, killing one person and injuring nine others. The attack comes amid ongoing strikes across Ukraine, including a deadly missile strike in Sumy. Peace efforts remain stalled, with Moscow continuing battlefield pressure.
Quick Looks
- One person was killed and nine injured in Kherson as Russia launched glide bombs followed by artillery strikes.
- Ukrainian officials say Russia is targeting rescue workers in “deliberate attacks.”
- Civilian buildings, a sports facility, and vehicles were damaged in Kherson.
- In Sumy, 35 were killed on Palm Sunday in a missile strike; victims include children and their parents.
- Russia claims it was targeting military officers, offering no proof.
- Funeral held for 11-year-old Maksym Martynenko and his parents in Sumy.
- Russia and Ukraine agreed to a limited energy ceasefire, but both sides report daily violations.
- Russia downed 26 Ukrainian drones across its regions Wednesday morning.
- Kremlin has not confirmed if it will extend the limited ceasefire.
- U.S. Envoys Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff heading to Europe to push Trump’s peace proposal.
- Putin reportedly demands Ukraine halt mobilization and arms imports as peace conditions.
- Ukraine rejects territorial concessions; continues talks on U.S. mineral access deal.
- Former Kursk governor Alexei Smirnov arrested in Russia for fraud related to fortification funds.
Deep Look
Russia intensified its attacks across Ukraine on Wednesday, launching a deadly assault on the southern city of Kherson using glide bombs and coordinated artillery fire that claimed the life of one civilian and injured nine others. According to Oleksandr Prokudin, the governor of the Kherson region, Russian forces deliberately targeted the area in two waves—first striking with air-dropped glide bombs, then bombarding with artillery once emergency services arrived, a tactic he called calculated and cruel.
“This is a deliberate tactic by Russia to hinder the rescue of the injured and harm doctors, rescuers, and police,” Prokudin stated in a message condemning the strike. The blast reportedly damaged a sports facility, a supermarket, multiple homes, and several civilian vehicles in Kherson, a city that has repeatedly found itself in Moscow’s crosshairs since the beginning of the war.
The Kherson attack is just the latest in a disturbing trend of Russian strikes targeting civilians and rescue teams across Ukraine, despite limited ceasefire arrangements and ongoing international peace efforts. Just days earlier, on Palm Sunday, a pair of Russian ballistic missiles struck the northeastern city of Sumy near the Russian border, killing 35 people and injuring more than 100 others in the deadliest single strike on civilians in Ukraine this year.
Among those killed in Sumy were 11-year-old Maksym Martynenko and his parents, Nataliia and Mykola. On Wednesday, their open casket funeral drew mourners to a church in the city center before they were laid to rest together in their home village. Maksym’s teacher, Daria Doroshenko, expressed grief and disbelief: “I can’t believe that one family, just like that, one day … just went away.”
At the funeral service, Pastor Artem Tovmasian called on the global community to respond with more than sympathy. “Their deaths should be condemned in a real way,” he said, calling for tangible international action instead of symbolic condolences.
The Russian military justified the Sumy strike by claiming it was aimed at a gathering of senior Ukrainian military officials. However, it provided no evidence to support the claim, and the high civilian death toll has drawn international condemnation.
These renewed attacks come in spite of a supposed 30-day ceasefire agreement between Kyiv and Moscow focused on halting strikes on energy infrastructure. The two sides remain at odds over the official start date of the ceasefire, and both accuse each other of daily violations. On Wednesday, Russia reported it had intercepted and downed 26 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, indicating ongoing cross-border hostilities.
When asked if Moscow will continue to abide by the 30-day ceasefire agreement once it expires, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to commit, stating that a final decision would be made “later.”
Russia continues to resist any comprehensive ceasefire proposed by the United States. President Donald Trump’s administration has pushed for an end to hostilities, with strong backing from Ukraine. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded a halt in Ukraine’s mobilization efforts and a cessation of Western arms supplies—conditions firmly rejected by Kyiv.
Ukraine insists that Russia is using battlefield aggression to gain leverage in potential negotiations. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly warned that Moscow’s forces are preparing for a large-scale offensive along the more than 1,000-kilometer frontline. Russian troops are currently mounting pressure in multiple sectors, reinforcing their strategic positions.
To further diplomatic efforts, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Paris on Thursday for talks with European leaders. Their mission: to push forward Trump’s peace initiative and coordinate an end to the conflict. Witkoff recently returned from Moscow after holding a five-hour meeting with President Putin—his third such meeting in recent months.
Speaking to Fox News, Witkoff said that Putin is interested in a “permanent peace,” which would include Russian claims over five Ukrainian regions. Zelenskyy swiftly denounced those remarks, reiterating that Ukraine will never recognize the occupation of its territory, regardless of the terms proposed.
Meanwhile, talks continue between U.S. and Ukrainian officials over a proposed agreement granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources. Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko confirmed “significant progress” in the negotiations and said a formal memorandum of intent is being prepared.
“This agreement will provide opportunities for investment and development in Ukraine, and also create conditions for real economic growth for both our countries,” Svyrydenko said. The deal would still require approval by Ukraine’s parliament before moving forward.
In Russia, internal investigations added another layer to the conflict’s corruption narrative. Authorities arrested former Kursk governor Alexei Smirnov, his former deputy, and several regional officials on charges of embezzling funds intended for fortification projects along the border with Ukraine. Smirnov had served from May to December 2024, during which time Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into Russian territory.
Kyiv’s forces temporarily captured areas in Russia’s Kursk region, including the town of Sudzha, before being pushed back. However, a small section of territory remains under Ukrainian control, representing a rare instance of Kyiv holding ground inside Russia since the war began.
Smirnov now faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted, marking a significant development in Moscow’s internal war-related investigations and offering a glimpse into the pressures facing Russian regional governance amid the ongoing conflict.
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