At the end of the weekend, Sunday, November 17, it was 8:30 p.m. when an explosion occurred in the center of Sumy. Kamikaze missiles and drones sent to the northeastern Ukrainian city usually strike only at dawn, when residents are in their beds. That afternoon, the Russian forces decided to attack while the population was still in the streets, preparing to have dinner, meet friends or spend time in front of the television… At the scene, twenty minutes after the bombing, the ambulances had already arrived. led located on the road that borders the residential area. The first six bodies were placed there, covered with survival blankets, sheets… Tatiana is kneeling next to her teenage daughter, Anastasia, 14 years old, killed in the bombing. A little further away, Igor laments over the body of his son, Ilya, 9 years old, whose face is already white.
In the courtyard of the building, civilians observe the impact left by the missile. For hundreds of meters, windows are broken, walls are marked by impacts, some crashed vehicles are smoking… Spotlights illuminate the square, where a children’s play area is installed. Rescuers and civilians continue to evacuate residents shocked by the explosion and whose bodies are torn apart by shards of glass. Some are seriously injured. Screams of pain filter through the broken windows and echo throughout the neighborhood. On the upper floors, a woman in her apartment screams while a grandmother has a serious leg injury and a young woman lies limp in the bathroom. The neighborhood is in shock. Some residents fall and are picked up by loved ones. Others scream their pain and incomprehension. It will take several hours for rescuers to count the victims. Results: 12 dead and more than 90 injured.
As is Orthodox tradition, Anastasia’s funeral took place three days after the tragedy, on Wednesday, November 20. Many made the trip to say goodbye to the teenager, who returned to her hometown a year ago after fleeing to France at the beginning of the invasion launched by Russia, on February 24, 2022. There are her neighborhood and university classmates, teenagers with serious and defeated faces. The same goes for your loved ones, your family, most of whom hold candles. Two coins were placed over Anastasia’s closed eyes. Flowers cover the deceased. Men of the Church sing dirges and spread incense to sanctify the final resting place.
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