A Russian rocket strike on Sunday in the town hall of Ukraines city of Sumy killed a minimum of 34 people, Kyiv said, with European and United States officials condemning the attack among the deadliest in months.Kyiv stated Moscow hit the northeastern city, close to the Russian border, with two ballistic missiles on Sunday morning and that the attack also injured nearly 100 people.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to what he referred to as a ballistic missile attack on Palm Sunday, stated: Only bastards do this.
United States President Donald Trumps unique envoy to Ukraine, retired lieutenant basic Keith Kellogg, stated the attack by Russian forces on civilian targets crosses any line of decency.
As a former military leader, I comprehend targeting and this is wrong, Kellogg published on X, formerly Twitter.The strike came two days after United States envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin and push Trumps efforts to end the war.The local emergency service in its latest publication that 34 people died, including two kids, and 117 were wounded, including 15 children.That revised upward a previous toll of 32 dead and 99 wounded.Bodies were seen covered in silver sheets at the scene of the strike in the center of the city, with a ruined trolleybus.
Rescuers worked through the rubble of a building.The head of Ukraines GUR military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, stated on Telegram that Russia utilized two Iskander-M/KN -23 ballistic missiles on Sumy.A great deal of corpsesOne woman informed AFP she heard 2 explosions.
A lot of individuals were extremely severely injured.
A great deal of corpses, she stated, struggling to speak.It was the 2nd Russian attack with a big civilian death toll this month.Trump has actually previously voiced anger at Moscow for battle like insane in Ukraine.Zelensky contacted the United States and Europe to provide a strong reaction to Russia, adding: Talking has actually never ever stopped ballistic missiles and bombs.
French leader Emmanuel Macron said the strike showed Russias outright neglect for human lives, global law and the diplomatic efforts of President Trump.
He said strong procedures are needed to force Moscow to consent to a ceasefire.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated he was appalled by the attack.
He advised Putin to now agree to a complete and instant ceasefire without conditions.His Swedish equivalent Ulf Kristersson called it a horrific attack that was not the act of a nation that looks for peace.Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni knocked the awful and afraid Russian attack.The EU reacted strongly, too, with Hadja Lahbib, the European commissioner for crisis management, calling the strike disgusting, while European Council President Antonio Costa condemned it as a criminal attack.The reality the bloodshed fell on Palm Sunday outraged numerous leaders.It was a barbaric attack, made even more repellent as individuals gathered peacefully to commemorate Palm Sunday, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on X.
The Russian version of a ceasefire.
Bloody Palm Sunday, stated Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, while Danish leader Mette Frederiksen stated the rocket attack on civilians collected on Palm Sunday ...
shows Russias true face.German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the killing as lots of people made their way to prayer on Palm Sunday demonstrated that Putin highlights with blood that he seeks not peace however destruction.Dutch premier Dick Schoof, railing against the horrific attack, urged more air defenses so that Ukraine can defend itself against this violence.Relentless Russian offensiveRussia did not instantly comment on the strike.
Moscow has actually declined a United States -proposed genuine ceasefire in Ukraine.Local authorities in Sumy published video of bodies scattered on the street and individuals running for safety, with automobiles on fire and injured civilians on the ground.Russia has actually non-stop assaulted Ukraine in current weeks, extending the violence wrought by its full-scale intrusion that has gone on for more than 3 years.In early April, a Russian attack on the central city of Kryvyi Rih eliminated 18 individuals, consisting of 9 children.Sumy has actually been under increasing pressure because Moscow pressed back a lot of Ukraines troops from its Kursk area inside Russia, throughout the border.The eastern Ukrainian city so far has been spared the type of combating seen farther south, in the Donetsk area.
Kyiv for weeks has actually cautioned that Moscow might mount an offensive on Sumy.Russia launched its invasion partly through the Sumy region and briefly occupied parts of it before being pushed back by Ukrainian forces.On Sunday, Russia said it captured another village in eastern Ukraines Donetsk region.