Russian strike kills at least 21 in Sumy on Palm Sunday
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story.
A Russian ballistic missile strike killed multiple people in the city of Sumy on the morning of Palm Sunday, Sumy Mayor Artem Kobzar reported on April 13.
There are 21 confirmed dead and at least 20 injured at the time of publication, Ukraine’s Emergency Services reported.
Ukraine’s Air Force warned of a ballistic missile threat in Sumy Oblast at 10:17 am. By 10:52 am, Kobzar announced that the city had been hit with “many dead” as a result of a missile strike.
“Enemy missiles hit an ordinary city street, ordinary life: houses, educational institutions, cars on the street… And this is on a day when people go to church: Palm Sunday,” President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel.
“Without pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible. Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and air bombs. We need the kind of attitude towards Russia that a terrorist deserves,” he added.
Videos are circulating on social media showing the aftermath of the attack on the city center. Bodies are seen strewn across the street, and several vehicles, including a bus, suffered heavy damage from the attack, with one car engulfed in flames.
Palm Sunday is celebrated by Christians on the Sunday before Easter. Many people in Ukraine attend church on the holiday.
The attack comes as Washington attempts to orchestrate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv agreed to a full 30-day ceasefire a month ago, but Moscow has so far refused, and has continued to launch attacks at Ukraine’s civilian centers.
The day before the attack, President Donald Trump said that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were “going fine,” but emphasized that a resolution must come soon.
“There’s a point at which you have to either put up or shut up. We’ll see what happens, but I think it’s going fine,” he told reporters.
The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko