Russia has claimed responsibility for a deadly missile strike in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, saying it targeted a gathering of Ukrainian military officers on Sunday.
The attack, which Ukraine says killed 34 civilians and injured at least 117 more, has drawn sharp condemnation from international leaders.
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces launched two Iskander-M tactical missiles at what it described as a Ukrainian military meeting site. According to Moscow, more than 60 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the strike.
Ukraine, however, maintains the strike hit a densely populated civilian area, and President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced it as an act of terrorism, especially as it occurred on Palm Sunday, a religious holiday marked by many across the country.
“Only scoundrels can act like this,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that people were simply heading to church when the missiles struck.
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Russia, for its part, accused Ukrainian forces of using civilians as human shields by holding military events in city centers. Kyiv has not yet publicly responded to that claim.
The attack sparked international outrage. Leaders from Britain, Germany, and Italy quickly condemned the strike. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pledged to end the war swiftly, responded briefly: “It was terrible,” he said, adding, “I was told they made a mistake.”
When asked about Trump’s remark, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to elaborate, saying only that Russia targets “military and military-adjacent” facilities and does not comment on operational decisions.
The strike on Sumy is one of the deadliest in recent months and has renewed pressure on global leaders to hold Russia accountable for the rising civilian toll.
For families in Sumy, Sunday’s attack turned a day of worship into one of mourning—and uncertainty about what may come next.
