Ukraine says Russian drone attack has cut heating in parts of Sumy region

ISTANBUL

Ukraine said on Wednesday that a Russian drone attack cut heating in parts of the country’s northeastern Sumy region.

A statement by the Sumy Regional Military Administration on Telegram said Russia carried out an overnight drone attack on critical infrastructure in the city of Shostka and nearby rural and urban areas.

The statement said there is currently no heating in Shostka, adding that emergency and rescue services are working and the consequences of the attack are being clarified.

“Measures of operational response are applied to restore heat supply as soon as possible,” the statement added.

Located in the border region of Sumy, Shostka is about 44 kilometers (27.3 miles) from Ukraine’s border with Russia.

Ukraine's Air Force claimed on Telegram that its air defenses downed 37 out of 90 drones launched by Russia on the Kyiv, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Cherkasy, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv and Kirovohrad regions.

Russian authorities have yet to comment on Ukrainian claims.

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov exchanged a phone conversation to discuss the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, according to the U.S. Defense Department.

Austin and Umerov addressed “battlefield dynamics” and “an update on U.S. security assistance support for Ukraine” in the Tuesday phone call, the department said.

The talks included the entry of North Korean soldiers into combat against Ukraine, which U.S. officials say represents a "significant" escalation in the ongoing war.

Austin reiterated the Biden administration’s commitment to accelerating security aid for Ukraine.

He also provided an update on “the unprecedented scope and pace of US efforts” to supply Kiev with the capabilities needed to fight Moscow.