Global condemnation follows Russia’s latest missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, where 34 people died and dozens were wounded during Palm Sunday services. Ukrainian and European officials have labeled the strike a war crime.
BY PC Bureau
Russian missiles struck civilians gathered for Palm Sunday services in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, killing at least 34 people and injuring dozens more in what has become the deadliest attack of the war this year, according to the Kyiv Post.
Among the dead were residents near a university, local shops, and a district court. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 20 buildings were damaged, including five apartment complexes. Eight of the 68 wounded remain in critical condition.
“This kind of cruelty can only come from completely deranged scum,” Zelensky said in his nightly address. He confirmed the use of cluster munitions—banned by many countries for their wide-area destruction—in the strike, noting that the second missile exploded mid-air to inflict maximum damage.
Another morning of tragedy as Russians hit the city center of Sumy with ballistic missiles on Palm Sunday, while Ukrainians are attending church services, one of the busiest church-going days of the year.
Rescue efforts are ongoing, with high casualties expected.
Nothing is… pic.twitter.com/hoV1kMvX1S
— Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) April 13, 2025
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Second Wave Targeted First Responders
The missile attack unfolded in two waves, with the second hitting as emergency workers were tending to the wounded. Witnesses described scenes of chaos, smoke, and devastation.
“I saw shattered windows, and before the second strike we ran for cover,” Sumy resident Iryna Pryykhodko told Reuters. “Afterwards, everything was covered in smoke—I couldn’t see a thing.”
Footage verified by CNN shows black smoke billowing into the air, people running in panic, and bloodied victims lying on the ground. One video shared by Zelensky features a woman with her face covered in blood, body bags strewn across the street, and a trolleybus filled with casualties. Regional military officials later confirmed that most passengers on the trolleybus were killed.
International Condemnation and Political Fallout
The global reaction was swift. U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, condemned the attack on social media, calling it a violation of basic decency. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also paid tribute to the victims, labeling the strike “horrifying.”
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“This is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are working tirelessly to bring this war to an end and secure a lasting peace,” Rubio added.
However, critics argue that progress toward peace has stalled. The Kyiv Post published a scathing critique of President Trump, saying he had promised to end the war within 24 hours during his campaign. “Since his inauguration nearly three months ago, the conflict has continued unabated, with Ukrainian civilian deaths mounting,” it said.
The report further accused Trump—who has repeatedly praised Vladimir Putin and has longstanding financial ties to Russian oligarchs—of failing to impose any new sanctions on Moscow. Russia remains the only nation exempted from Trump’s new tariff regime.
European Leaders Call It a War Crime
European leaders echoed the outrage. EU Council President Antonio Costa called the attack a “criminal act,” while Germany’s chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz labeled it a “deliberate and serious war crime.”
Palm Sunday civilians are doing their routine when Russians launch precise guided missile strike with cluster warhead at the Sumy city center against innocent people. More than 80 were injured, 31 were killed, 2 of them were children.
That is what truly terror looks like. pic.twitter.com/DQ9Py213fr— Максим (@kms_d4k) April 13, 2025
“It was a perfidious act,” Merz told German broadcaster ARD. “Russia launched the second wave as emergency workers were tending to the wounded. This was a planned massacre.”
Merz’s Christian Democratic Party won recent elections on a platform of bolstering defense support for Ukraine. His comments reflect growing frustration with outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has hesitated to send certain weapons systems to Kyiv out of fear of escalating the conflict.
Calls for Stronger Action
Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha accused Russia of deliberately escalating violence while refusing U.S. ceasefire proposals. He urged Western partners to provide additional air defense systems.
“Strength is the only language Moscow understands,” Sybiha said. “We need more support to stop this terror.”
Since the war began, nearly 13,000 Ukrainian civilians—including about 700 children—have been killed, according to Statista. The attack in Sumy is a grim reminder of the human cost as the war continues with no end in sight.
