More than 40 police officers injured as Russian drone destroys station in Shostka, Sumy Oblast
More than 40 police officers were injured when a Russian drone struck the district police headquarters in Shostka, the Sumy Oblast, on the morning of March 11, 2026, according to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, speaking at a press conference, and Interior Ministry spokesperson Mariana Reva, in a comment to the news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
Klymenko confirmed that a UAV hit the district police headquarters in Shostka in the morning, destroying the building.
Reva told Ukrainska Pravda that, as of 9:20 p.m., the injury toll had risen to more than 40. All victims are police officers.
Earlier this day, Shostka Mayor Mykola Noha stated on Facebook that Russia struck the Shostka hromada with drones, damaging administrative buildings, residential properties, and cars, the city’s mayor said.
“This morning, the Russian aggressor attacked the Shostka hromada with unmanned aerial vehicles. Two administrative buildings, four cars, and residential buildings have been damaged,” he said.
Ukrainian experts point out that countries including China, North Korea, Hungary, Slovakia, Iran, and Brazil assist Moscow in killing Ukrainians in its war against Ukraine by funding the Russian budget through trade.
EU ambassadors have agreed on the text of the 20th sanctions package against Russia, but the final decision remains blocked by Budapest and Bratislava. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reproached the European Union for the lack of progress on its 20th Russia sanctions package and the €90 billion aid package for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Donald Trump administration in Washington has discussed easing sanctions on Russian oil as part of emergency measures to counter a surge in energy prices caused by the United States’ war with Iran, CNN reported.
Oil prices surged to $119 a barrel on Monday, their highest level in almost 4 years, amid fears of Gulf output cuts and disrupted tanker exports.
President Trump hinted at the possibility of easing the sanctions on Monday, saying at a press conference that “we have sanctions on some countries” and “we are going to take those sanctions off until this straightens out.”
Last week, the US Treasury Department granted India temporary permission to purchase Russian oil already at sea.
Officials in the Trump administration have since discussed additional sanctions relief, though sources cautioned that no final decision has been made on the scale or scope of any such measures.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope at a briefing that the U.S. would not lift sanctions on Russia, stating that such a move would be a reputational blow to the entire world and set a dangerous precedent for others, the news outlet European Pravda reported.
“How can sanctions be lifted from Russia when it is the aggressor? This would imply that such actions are permissible not only for them, essentially, but it also sets a very negative example for others,” he said.
“We are aware that Russia is engaging in a dialogue with U.S. representatives regarding the possible lifting of sanctions. We firmly believe that the United States will not make such concessions,” Zelenskyy stated.
Reuters reported that the European Commission urged the United States on March 10 to strictly enforce the G7 price cap on Russian oil after Washington announced it was waiving certain oil-related sanctions to ensure supply and lower prices.
Zelenskyy also said the talks to freeze the frontline with Russia were due to take place in Türkiye on 10-11 March, but had been postponed at the US’s request because of the war in the Middle East.
