Two Russian ballistic missiles hit the center of Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine, on Palm Sunday, killing 34 people and injuring 117, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said among the dead were two children. At least 15 children were injured.
The missiles struck around 10:15 a.m. local time as people gathered for church. One hit a university building while the second exploded over a street packed with civilians. In addition to the university, the shelling damaged five apartment buildings, several cafes and shops, and the district court.
Footage from the scene showed burned-out cars, damaged buildings, and bodies on the ground covered in foil blankets.
Russian missile strike on Sumy today.
The missile hit the center of the city. Local authorities report that many people are dead and injured.
The morning of the Sunday before Easter is a time when many Ukrainians go to church. And Russia chose this time for its strike. pic.twitter.com/A3sMAcOeMa
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 13, 2025
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack and called for global action in a statement posted on X.
“It is very important for everyone in the world not to remain silent, not to remain indifferent. Russian strikes deserve only condemnation. Pressure is needed on Russia to end the war and guarantee the safety of the people. Without really strong pressure, without proper support for Ukraine, Russia will continue to drag out this war,” he wrote.
Zelenskyy also criticized Russia for ignoring the ceasefire agreement brokered by the U.S. “Unfortunately, those in Moscow are confident they can afford to keep killing. We need to act to change the situation,” he added.
Станом на зараз відомо вже про 31 загиблого в Сумах після удару російських балістичних ракет. Серед загиблих – двоє дітей. Мої співчуття рідним та близьким. Понад 80 людей поранені, зокрема десять дітей. Усім надається необхідна допомога.
Дуже важливо всім у світі не мовчати, не… pic.twitter.com/WvlZK52wgZ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 13, 2025
France’s President Emmanuel Macron criticized the strike, saying it undermined ongoing peace talks.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the attack, calling it “horrifying.” Keith Kellogg, the Trump administration’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, said the strike “crosses any line of decency.” He added, “This is why President Trump is working hard to end this war.”
The attack on Sumy marks the highest civilian death toll from a single strike since 51 people were killed in Kupiansk in October 2023.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, four more civilians were killed in Russian attacks in the Kherson and Donetsk regions. A kindergarten in Kharkiv was damaged by a separate strike, but no injuries were reported.
