Russian Missiles Kill 34 in Palm Sunday Strike on Ukrainian City of Sumy

At least 34 people were killed when Russian ballistic missiles struck the Ukrainian city of Sumy during Palm Sunday celebrations, Ukrainian officials reported. This marks the second major attack resulting in civilian casualties in just over a week.

Officials stated that two ballistic missiles hit around 10:15 am. Images from the scene showed lines of black body bags alongside the road, with additional bodies wrapped in foil blankets among debris. Video footage captured fire crews battling blazes from burned vehicles amid rubble from damaged buildings.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine confirmed that two children were among the dead, with 117 people wounded, including 15 children.

“Only filthy scum can act like this, taking the lives of ordinary people,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a social media statement. He noted that the first strike hit university buildings, while the second exploded above street level.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, claimed cluster munitions were used to maximize casualties, though this assertion remains unverified.

The Sumy attack follows an April 4 missile strike on Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih that killed approximately 20 people, including nine children.

Zelensky called for an international response to the attack. “Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs. What’s needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves,” he stated.

Other world leaders condemned the attack, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying it undermined Washington-led peace efforts.

“Everyone knows this war was initiated by Russia alone. And today, it is clear that Russia alone chooses to continue it with blatant disregard for human lives, international law, and the diplomatic efforts” of US President Donald Trump, Macron wrote.

When asked about the attack, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, “I think it was terrible, and I was told they made a mistake, but I think it’s a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing.” He didn’t clarify whether he was suggesting the attack was unintentional.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, two women, ages 62 and 68, and a 48-year-old man were killed in Russian attacks on the Kherson region, according to local Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Another person was killed during Russian shelling in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said a Russian strike hit one of the city’s kindergartens, damaging windows and the building’s facade, though no casualties were reported.

These strikes occurred a day after Russian and Ukrainian diplomats accused each other of violating a tentative US-brokered agreement to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, highlighting challenges in negotiating an end to the three-year conflict.

The countries’ foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, following US envoy Steve Witkoff’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects.

“The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed, adding that Moscow would provide the US, Turkey, and international bodies with a list of Kyiv’s attacks during the past three weeks.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha contested this claim, stating Saturday that Russia had launched almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 exploding drones, and more than 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, “mostly at civilians,” since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes.

Russian forces currently hold the advantage in Ukraine, and Kyiv has warned that Moscow is planning a fresh spring offensive to increase pressure and improve its negotiating position.

While Ukraine has endorsed a broader US ceasefire proposal, Russia has effectively blocked it by imposing extensive conditions. European governments have accused Putin of deliberately stalling progress.

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, said the Sumy attack crossed “any line of decency” and that the White House remained committed to ending the conflict.

“There are scores of civilians dead and wounded. As a former military leader, I understand targeting, and this is wrong,” he said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the attack “horrifying” and said it offered “a tragic reminder” of why the administration was trying to end the war in favor of “a just and durable peace.”