This was the most tragic Russian attack on Ukraine this year. The missiles hit Sumy, located in the northeast of the country. The Russians fired rockets in the city centre just erstwhile its residents attended Palm Sunday services.
Putin's soldiers must have known there'd be quite a few casualties. So far, the Ukrainian services accounted for 32 dead and 84 wounded. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, this was the worst single attack on Ukrainian civilians since 2023. Last week, a Russian rocket attack killed 20 people in the central town of Krzywy Horn.
"The enemy hoped to do the top harm to the Sumy city's inhabitants," said Volodymyr Artiuch, head of military administration in the region.
"Only filthy scum (in English philthy scum – ed.) can do this – taking lives from average people. My condolences to my families and loved ones. There's a rescue underway. On site, all the essential services work," wrote the president of Ukraine in a statement.
Indignant words come from all over the world
Kaja Kallas, head of EU diplomacy, called the incidental "a frightening example of Russia's expanding attacks, while Ukraine adopted an unconditional ceasefire".
French president Emmanuel Macron besides reacted by saying that "decisive measures" were needed to introduce a ceasefire.
UN Humanitarian Aid Coordinator in Ukraine Matthias Schmale condemned the attack "in the harshest words" and noted that global law "categorically forbids attacks on civilian population and civilian infrastructure".
The Polish Ministry of abroad Affairs besides expressed its condemnation to the Russians and condolences to the Ukrainians.
"Russia wants precisely specified panic and drags this war," said Volodymyr Zelenski. "Without force on the aggressor, peace is impossible. Conversations never stopped ballistic missiles and bombs. We must treat Russia as a terrorist deserves it," he added.
Foreign Minister of Ukraine Andrij Sybiha called the attacks on the Christian vacation "absolute evil" and noted that the missiles hit the town's residential district.
"We call on partners to supply Ukraine with additional air defence capabilities and increased force on Moscow," Sybiha said in a message published in X. "Strength is the only language that they realize and the only way to put an end to terrifying terror," he added.
In fresh weeks Russia has intensified air and rocket attacks on the Sum region, displacing Ukrainian forces from much of the adjacent territory of Russian Kursk. Her forces besides occupied respective tiny settlements just outside the Sum region. During the last 24 hours, Russian attacks in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions in Ukraine killed 8 people and injured at least 18 people. I'm talking about civilians, of course.
