A devastating Russian missile strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy has claimed at least 21 lives and injured more than 80 people, including seven children, making it the deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians since 2023, according to local authorities. The strike occurred on Palm Sunday as residents were attending church services, amplifying the horror of the assault.
The missile hit a busy residential neighborhood, flattening homes, damaging schools, and igniting vehicles along a city street. Witnesses described scenes of panic and devastation as first responders worked frantically to pull survivors from the debris.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as a deliberate act of terror, noting that it occurred during one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar. In a statement posted to social media, Zelenskyy said, “Russian missiles hit an ordinary city street, ordinary life – residential buildings, educational institutions, cars on the street… And that’s on the day when people go to church – Palm Sunday, the feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem.”
Zelenskyy reiterated calls for increased international pressure on Moscow, arguing that diplomacy alone cannot stop missile attacks or aerial bombardments. “The world must respond firmly. The United States, Europe, everyone in the world who wants this war and these killings to end. Russia wants exactly this kind of terror and is dragging this war out.,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha revealed that Russia has once again rejected a US-backed ceasefire proposal, this time for the second consecutive month casting doubt on any immediate hopes for de-escalation.
