Sir Keir Starmer has condemned a deadly Russian missile strike that killed at least 34 people in the Ukrainian city of Sumy as residents gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday.
The Prime Minister said he was “appalled” by the attack, which saw two ballistic missiles hit the heart of the city on Sunday morning.
The dead included two children, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said in a statement.
A further 117 people were wounded, including 15 children, it said.
“This latest deadly attack is a stark reminder of the continued bloodshed perpetrated by Putin,” Sir Keir said.
“President Zelensky has shown his commitment to peace, President Putin must now agree to a full and immediate ceasefire without conditions – as Ukraine has done.”
Emergency services in Ukraine confirmed the rising death toll, with dramatic footage showing widespread destruction, debris, and smoke across central Sumy, located just 20 miles from the Russian border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Only filthy scum can act like this – taking the lives of ordinary people.”
The strike came amid continued international pressure on Russia to engage in peace talks. US envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Moscow last week as Donald Trump’s administration seeks to broker a ceasefire, but Russian officials rejected a proposed 30-day pause unless sanctions were eased.
Zelensky said Sunday’s attack highlighted the futility of diplomatic overtures without tougher international resolve.
“Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs. What’s needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves,” he said.
Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, said the strike also used cluster munitions in an attempt to kill as many people as possible.
Other world leaders also condemned the attack, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying that it undermined Washington-led peace talks between the two sides.
He wrote in a statement: “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 Trump.
Earlier in the week, a separate Russian missile strike on Zelensky’s home city of Kryvyi Rih killed 20 people. Both sides have accused each other of breaching an informal agreement to avoid targeting energy infrastructure.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said this week that peace “appears to be out of reach in the immediate future”, as hostilities show no sign of slowing.
