Tragic Missile Strike in Sumy: 10 Dead, Biden’s Policy Shift on Ukraine

Fighting in Ukraine (November 18)

• A Russian missile struck a residential building in Sumy, Ukraine, killing 10 people, including two children. The city council reported that 55 people, including eight children, were injured. Power was cut in the region’s administrative center due to another missile strike.

• Russia’s air defense claimed to have destroyed 59 Ukrainian drones, including two targeting Moscow. Most of these drones were taken down over the Bryansk region.

• Russia launched its largest air strike on Ukraine in three months, firing 120 missiles and 90 drones. This attack killed at least seven people and severely damaged the power system. The Ukrainian air force reported it intercepted 104 of the 120 missiles and shot down 42 drones, while another 41 missiles disappeared from radar.

• In response to the air strike, Ukraine’s energy operator, DTEK, announced emergency power cuts in Kyiv and two eastern regions.

• Moldovan officials reported that Russian missiles and drones violated their airspace during the attack. Poland, a NATO member, scrambled its air force as a precaution.

Politics and Diplomacy

• The Biden administration has permitted Ukraine to use US-made weapons to strike deep into Russia, marking a significant change in US policy on the conflict.

• Long-range US missiles will allow Ukraine to conduct strikes inside Russia. Russian lawmakers warned this escalation could lead to a broader conflict.

• French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the recent Russian air attacks indicate that President Putin is not ready to negotiate or seek peace.

• The Russian attacks disrupted discussions among the G20 nations creating their joint statement at an annual leaders’ summit.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Russian airstrike that targeted energy and critical civilian infrastructure as “unacceptable.”
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reported no change in Putin’s stance on the war after a recent phone conversation, defending his decision to engage with the Kremlin.