There seems to be a disturbing pattern emerging: meetings between U.S. President's Special Representative Steve Witkoff and Russian authorities are followed by harsh strikes by Russia against Ukrainian civilians. Russia launched a ballistic attack on the bustling center of Sumy right after Witkoff's discussions with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This is no coincidence, says Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine's National Security Council. Kovalenko highlighted that the aim of Russia's strike on Sumy, as well as a recent one on Kryvyi Rih, was to inflict maximum civilian casualties.

The attack occurred on a weekend, during the Orthodox celebration of Palm Sunday, targeting a central part of the city teeming with civilians. Notably, the strike happened immediately following Witkoff's Moscow talks with Putin. “This followed Witkoff's visit to Moscow to see Putin. The last attack on Kryvyi Rih, where many children perished, took place after Dmitriev (a close associate of Putin) visited Washington and also met with Witkoff. Russia's so-called diplomacy and racket are centered around attacks on civilians,” Kovalenko noted.

On April 13, Russia launched ballistic missiles on Sumy's central area. Random passersby, civilian vehicles, and a crowded trolleybus were caught in the assault. Local authorities report "a large number of casualties," though the exact number remains unspecified as rescue operations continue. Preliminary reports suggest the missiles used were "Iskander." Several buildings are reported damaged.