Far-right Svoboda party accuses head of Sumy’s military administration of being responsible for deaths caused by Russian cruise missile strike in Sumy

(MENAFN) The mayor of Konotop, Artyom Semenikhin, a member of the far-right Svoboda party, has accused the head of Sumy’s military administration, Vladimir Artyukh, of being responsible for the deaths caused by a Russian cruise missile strike on Sunday in Sumy. Semenikhin blamed Artyukh for organizing a gathering of Ukrainian soldiers in the city, which made them a target of the attack.

Sumy, a city located just 15 miles from the Russian border, has been a key location in the conflict following a failed Ukrainian operation into Russia’s Kursk region. Local authorities reported that the missile strike resulted in over 20 deaths and more than 80 injuries.

In a Facebook post, Semenikhin claimed that Artyukh had organized an award ceremony for the 117th brigade soldiers in the building targeted by the strike. Despite warnings not to hold such an event, Semenikhin said Artyukh proceeded, leading to the casualties. He emphasized that while soldiers were unharmed, it was civilians attending the ceremony who suffered.

Semenikhin further accused Artyukh of contributing to the tragedy, stating that local authorities had initiated criminal investigations into both the organization of the ceremony and the attack. He added that law enforcement agencies would take action against Artyukh.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet responded to reports of soldiers being targeted. Meanwhile, Ukrainian lawmaker Mariana Bezuglaya, a former member of President Zelensky’s political party, also urged the military to stop staging such gatherings, warning that they make soldiers vulnerable to Russian attacks. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not issued any comment regarding the strike.

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