AT least 32 people have been killed in a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy.
Local officials said two ballistic missiles struck the heart of the city at around 10.30am local time as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday.
Images posted from the scene on official channels showed lines of black body bags lying on the side of the road, while more bodies were seen wrapped in foil blankets among the debris.
Video footage also showed fire crews as they fought to extinguish the shells of burnt-out cars among the rubble from damaged buildings.
The city’s acting mayor, Artem Kobzar, said on social media initially: “On this bright Palm Sunday, our community has suffered a terrible tragedy. Unfortunately, we already know of more than 20 deaths.”
At least 32 people were killed as a result of the attack, including two children, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said in a statement.
A further 99 people were injured, including 11 children, it said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed rescue efforts are ongoing and he said “dozens” had been killed in the double missile attack.
He said that among those killed two were children, and more than 84 people were wounded, including 10 children.
“According to preliminary information, dozens of civilians were killed and wounded,” he said. “Only filthy scum can act like this – taking the lives of ordinary people.”
The attack on Sumy is the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in just over a week, following a deadly missile strike on Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih on April 4 that killed some 20 people, including nine children.
Other world leaders also condemned the attack, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying the strike undermines Washington-led peace talks between the two sides.
“Everyone knows: This war was initiated by Russia alone,” Macron wrote in a statement. “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 President Trump.”
Former first minister Humza Yousaf shared Zelenskyy’s statement on Twitter/X, adding: “Civilians are never collateral.
“This attack by Russia once again demonstrates who the aggressor is and who continues to violate international law.”
Noting comments made by White House envoy Steve Witkoff who said Russian President Vladimir Putin was not a “bad guy”, Yousaf added: “For those who think ‘Putin is not a bad guy’ - what do you say about this horrific attack?”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the attack.
“This latest deadly attack is a stark reminder of the continued bloodshed perpetrated by Putin,” he said.
“President Zelenskyy has shown his commitment to peace, President Putin must now agree to a full and immediate ceasefire without conditions – as Ukraine has done.”
The attack comes after a week in which US envoy Witkoff again travelled to Russia to press the Kremlin to come to the negotiating table as Donald Trump’s administration continues to seek a peace deal.
Moscow has already rejected a US-backed proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, and has appeared to drag its feet on implementing a more limited truce in the Black Sea, saying some of the sanctions on Russia should be lifted first.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, a 62-year-old woman was killed in Russian shelling on the city of Kherson, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
The mayor of the city of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, said a Russian strike had hit a kindergarten, shattering windows and damaging the building’s facade. No casualties were reported.
It comes less than a day after Russia and Ukraine’s top diplomats accused each other of violating a tentative US-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the three-year war.
