Russia destroyed a building in the Hetman National Park in Sumy Oblast

In the village of Velyka Pysarivka in the Sumy region, the building of the Hetman National Nature Park was completely destroyed as a result of Russian shelling on March 23, 2026. 

The park’s director, Oleksandr Kvarta, confirmed to Suspilne that the exhibition center—which served as a hub for environmental education and a starting point for the region’s tourist routes—had been destroyed. Prior to Russia’s full-scale aggression, this visitor center hosted numerous groups of children, local residents, and foreign guests.

According to the park’s leading specialist, Mykhailo Obidets, the building housed valuable ethnographic exhibits, including antique towels, jugs, and household items. The center also housed a library that was actively used by students from a nearby school. In addition to cultural losses, the Russian attack made it impossible to conduct planned environmental, cycling, and kayaking excursions that began right from this site.

The destruction of the reserve’s infrastructure in the Sumy region occurred amid an increase in the number of Russian attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, as previously reported by the UN Deputy Secretary-General. While emergency services are assessing the extent of the damage, the consequences of the Russian Federation’s evening shelling are also being addressed in the Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Despite constant threats, Ukrainian environmentalists continue to document the Russian Federation’s crimes against the environment and cultural heritage to hold the aggressor accountable in the future.

As a reminder, Russian troops carried out another combined attack on Ukraine, using strike drones and cruise missiles. 

During the Russian attack on Dnipro, a fragment of an enemy drone struck the home of Mayor Boris Filatov, damaging his office.