Surveillance footage has captured the terrifying moment a woman shielded a child during a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Saturday 11 July, as customers inside a nearby coffee shop scrambled for safety following the explosion. The attack, which struck a crowded area of the city, killed five people and injured at least 30 others, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Officials said two Russian guided glide bombs hit the area, with one striking a bus stop and another landing nearby. Images released in the aftermath showed a yellow bus torn apart by the blast, alongside significant damage to nearby apartment buildings, businesses and parked vehicles. Of those injured in the attack, five were reported to be in serious condition.
What the footage shows
The CCTV footage was recorded at Piccolino Coffee, where security cameras captured customers rushing for cover as the blast shattered the shop’s windows. Additional footage from inside the café shows staff and customers retreating into a back storeroom to shelter as the explosions continued. Reuters verified the footage, confirming the location using surrounding buildings, the road layout and satellite imagery.
Part of a wider nationwide assault
Sumy was one of several Ukrainian cities targeted during a large-scale Russian missile and drone assault that also struck Kyiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched more than 120 drones and around a dozen missiles as part of the nationwide attack. While most of the drones were intercepted, the Air Force said ballistic missiles remained far more difficult to stop.
Zelensky renews calls for air defence support
Following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed calls for allies to accelerate deliveries of air-defence systems and interceptor missiles, saying many of the strikes had taken place before civilians had sufficient warning to reach safety.
A city under repeated bombardment
The strike forms part of a wider escalation in attacks on Sumy, a city located close to the Russian border that has faced repeated aerial bombardment in recent months.
