Ukraine reports that a Russian ballistic missile attack on Sumy has resulted in 21 fatalities

A Russian ballistic missile strike in the center of Sumy, a northern Ukrainian city, resulted in the deaths of at least 21 individuals and left 83 others injured on Sunday morning, according to Ukraine‘s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced the attack, which ranks among the deadliest this year, and urged for a strong international response against Russia.

“Only the most despicable individuals could commit such acts, taking the lives of innocent people,” he stated on social media, sharing a harrowing video that depicted lifeless bodies, a wrecked bus, and charred vehicles strewn across a city street.

“This tragedy occurred on a day when many attend church: Palm Sunday, commemorating the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem,” Zelenskiy added. Minister Klymenko reported that the victims were caught in the strike while on the street, in vehicles, using public transport, or inside buildings. “This is a deliberate attack on civilians during a significant religious observance,” he remarked.

Reuters has reached out to Russian officials for their comments. Andriy Kovalenko, a security official overseeing Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, pointed out that the missile strike followed a visit to Moscow by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. “Russia is framing its so-called diplomacy around attacks on civilians,” he noted on Telegram.

Witkoff, who serves as U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Friday to discuss a potential peace agreement for Ukraine, as Trump urged Russia to “get moving.” In the wake of the missile strike, Zelenskiy called on the U.S. and European nations to adopt a firmer stance against Russia, labeling the attack as an act of terrorism. “Russia seeks to instill this kind of terror and prolong the conflict. Without exerting pressure on the aggressor, peace cannot be achieved. Negotiations have never halted the use of ballistic missiles and aerial bombardments,” he stated.

In February 2022, Russia initiated a comprehensive invasion of Ukraine and presently occupies approximately 20% of the nation’s territory in the eastern and southern regions. Recently, Russian forces have been making gradual progress in the east, although missile and drone attacks have become the predominant tactics in the conflict.

On Saturday, Russia’s defense ministry reported that Ukraine had conducted five assaults on Russian energy infrastructure within the previous day, labeling these actions as a breach of a U.S.-mediated ceasefire agreement regarding such strikes. Last month, Ukraine and Russia had reached an understanding to suspend attacks on each other’s energy facilities; however, both parties have consistently accused one another of violating this agreement.