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Three days of strikes on Ukrainian cities
Summary
A look back at the Russian attacks on Poltava, Odesa and Sumy in the days before 3 February 2025.
What did the run of Russian strikes in the final days of January and the first days of February 2025 show about the pressure on Ukrainian civilians? On 3 February 2025, the most recent reports described three attacks in as many days, each hitting populated areas.
On 30 January, a Russian drone struck a multi-storey apartment building in Sumy, killing nine people and injuring 13 others. The following day, 31 January, Russian forces fired ballistic missiles at the centre of Odesa and its port. Numerous civilian buildings were severely damaged, including the historic Bristol Hotel, and at least two people were reportedly injured.
The heaviest toll came on 1 February. A Russian missile struck a residential building in Poltava, reportedly killing at least 14 people and injuring at least 17. A separate strike that day killed three police officers in Sumy Oblast.
What the pattern showed
The reports point to a mix of weapons: a drone in Sumy, ballistic missiles in Odesa and a missile in Poltava. They also point to a spread of targets across different regions, with residential buildings hit in Sumy and Poltava and the city centre and port affected in Odesa. Sumy was struck twice in the period, once in the city itself and once in the wider oblast, where police officers were killed.
Taken together, the three days produced at least 26 reported deaths in Sumy and Poltava from the strikes on residential buildings and police, plus damage to civilian and historic property in Odesa.
