Putin confirmed that the Russian Federation targeted civilian objects in Sumy and Kryvyi Rih.

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, acknowledged that Russian military forces deliberately attacked civilian objects in Sumy and Kryvyi Rih. He claims that this was a punishment for the actions of Ukrainian military personnel in the region near the border with Russia. According to what Putin stated, the congress center of Sumy University was a civilian facility, but they decided to punish it for supporting the military and nationalists associated with the combat operations. He also mentioned the attack on the warehouses of an agricultural enterprise in Odesa region, which was likely carried out due to the weapons that might be tested there. Putin also expressed that the restaurant where the attack occurred in Kryvyi Rih was a venue for military gatherings. However, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission asserted that those killed as a result of the attack were civilians, not military personnel. The controversy surrounding these claims made by the Russian side raises questions about their credibility.

After the attack in Kryvyi Rih, the spiritual advisor to the US president, Mark Burns, condemned these actions by Russia and urged the international community to support Ukraine.