A Russian missile strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy killed at least 34 people on Sunday, including two children, and injured 117 more, according to local authorities. The early morning attack, one of the deadliest in recent months, devastated central parts of the city near the Russian border.
Ukrainian officials said two Iskander ballistic missiles struck the area, destroying homes, shops, a university, and the district court. Emergency crews worked through the rubble, with eight of the injured reported in critical condition. At least 15 children were among the wounded.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike as “barbaric,” emphasizing the attack’s timing on Palm Sunday. “Only completely deranged scum can do something like this,” he said in a televised address.
Images from the scene showed charred vehicles, collapsed buildings, and bodies covered in emergency blankets. Local authorities have declared three days of mourning.
International leaders responded swiftly. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed alarm, calling it part of a disturbing pattern of strikes on civilian areas. U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking from Air Force One, called the attack “a horrible thing,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio described it as “horrifying.”
European leaders also condemned the strike. French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen all issued statements, with von der Leyen referring to the attack as a “bloody Palm Sunday.”
The Sumy region, among the first to be invaded in 2022, has faced increased pressure amid renewed Russian offensives. Sunday’s attack follows a strike earlier this month on Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, which killed 18 people, including nine children.
As the war grinds into its fourth year, Zelensky called on President Trump to visit Ukraine and see the destruction firsthand before making key diplomatic decisions.
Russia has continued to reject international calls for a ceasefire and claimed on Sunday to have captured another village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
AFP
