Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the “terrible attack by Russian ballistic missiles” had hit an “ordinary city street, ordinary life”, adding that without strong pressure “Russia will continue to prolong this war”.
Two ballistic missiles of the Iskander variant struck at around 10:15 local time (08:15 GMT), both hitting the area around Sumy State University and its congress centre. Targeting civilians on a religious day is particularly barbaric. Since the beginning of the aggression, Russia has shelled infrastructural facilities more than 160 times during major religious holidays.
Russia attacked the centre of Sumy with ballistic missiles and aerial bombs, at a time when a large number of civilians were on the streets. The presence of a Russian reconnaissance drone over the city confirms that the strikes were coordinated in real time, indicating that they were deliberately targeting civilians.
Russia has carried out similar actions before, for example, the missile attack on the Amstor shopping centre in Kremenchuk on 27 June 2022, which killed more than 20 people, and the shelling of the railway station in Kramatorsk on 8 April 2022, which killed 61 civilians. These attacks were also carried out in crowded places during daylight hours, which indicates a systematic pattern of such crimes.
Zelensky called for a “tough” response from the world, adding that “talking has never stopped ballistic missiles and air bombs”.
“The United States, Europe, everyone in the world who wants to see an end to this war and murder. Russia wants exactly this kind of terror and is prolonging this war. Peace is impossible without pressure on the aggressor,” Zelensky said.
“It is very important for everyone in the world not to be silent, not to be indifferent,” he added.
The university’s congress centre is often used for children’s classes, he said, adding that the space is “an educational hub for the whole city” and is “very actively rented for various courses, clubs and master classes”.
Following the tragedy in Sumy, Russian public opinion began to spread disinformation that the deaths were allegedly caused by Ukrainian air defence. This is a standard Russian tactic to avoid responsibility, as was the case after the attack on the maternity hospital in Mariupol on 9 March, when Russia claimed it was a “staged attack”, or after the attack on the shopping centre in Kremenchuk, when Russian propaganda accused Ukraine of “self-shelling”. Such disinformation only underscores the cynicism of Russian authorities.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha also condemned the attack on Palm Sunday.
“Many civilians were killed and injured. The launch of such an attack on a major Christian holiday is absolutely evil,” he wrote on X.
“We are sharing detailed information about this war crime with all our partners and international organizations,” he said, adding that for the second month in a row, Russia has refused to accept the US proposal for a full ceasefire, which Ukraine unconditionally accepted on March 11.
“Instead, Russia is intensifying its terror,” Sybiha said.
The attack on Sumy proves once again that Russia is not interested in peace, but in systematically destroying civilian infrastructure and civilians in order to break the spirit of Ukrainians. Despite the international community’s calls for a diplomatic solution, Russia continues to escalate, using ballistic missiles and bombs against Ukrainian cities. These actions are intended not only to cause physical destruction, but also to create an atmosphere of fear.
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, also reacted, saying on X that residents gathering for Palm Sunday “only to be hit by Russian missiles” was a “horrific example of Russia intensifying attacks while Ukraine has accepted an unconditional ceasefire”.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the strikes on Sumy showed the urgent need to impose a ceasefire on Russia.
“The attacks on civilian targets in Sumy, using precision weapons and reconnaissance drones, constitute war crimes and violations of the Geneva Conventions… Russia’s disregard for international humanitarian law shows contempt for the global order.
The international community must increase pressure on Russia to stop its war crimes through new sanctions, isolation and comprehensive assistance to Ukraine. Silence and inaction only embolden the aggressor. There is an urgent need to provide Ukraine with modern air defence systems, such as Patriot, and to increase the supply of weapons to protect civilians. The perpetrators of war crimes, including the organisers of the attack on Sumy, should be brought to justice by international tribunals such as the ICC.
The attack comes after the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Friday.
According to the Kremlin, the meeting lasted more than four hours and focused on “aspects of the Ukrainian settlement.” The meeting, which was Witkoff’s third with Putin this year, was described as “productive” by Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
In the ongoing negotiations between the US and Russia, the latter is trying to get the US to ease sanctions by offering minor concessions, but not stopping shelling Ukraine, as seen in the attack on Sumy. This manipulative tactic shows that the Kremlin is looking for economic relief without any real steps toward peace. The United States, as one of Ukraine’s key allies, should not only maintain existing sanctions, but also introduce new ones targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex and financial elite to force Russia to stop its aggression. Concessions or easing of pressure will only increase Russia’s impunity and allow it to continue its war crimes against civilians.
https://geopolitic.info/index.php/2025/04/13/know-how-by-putin-celebrating-palm-sunday-ballistic-edition/
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