Sumy is a key border town that the Russians need to take if they are to secure their supply lines from the east.
Sumy too is under siege and, like so many cities, its residents are also paying the price of indiscriminate Russian bombing.
We took a closer look at one attack that left more than 20 dead in and around Spartaka Street, a quiet residential road in a southern suburb of Sumy.
It is tragic, yet typical of countless other attacks across the country.
Warning: This report contains disturbing images.