A Russian missile attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy has drawn global condemnation after killing 34 people, including two children, and injuring at least 117 others. The Sunday morning assault, involving two ballistic missiles, struck the city center near Sumy State University and a congress hall, leaving devastation and bloodied bodies scattered in the streets.
Ukraine’s Western allies have responded with fierce criticism. U.S. President Donald Trump called the attack a “horrible thing” and said he was told it may have been a mistake, though he did not elaborate. His special envoy to Ukraine, retired Lt-Gen Keith Kellogg, went further, stating the attack “crossed any line of decency.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Trump to visit Ukraine to witness the human toll of Russia’s invasion. In an emotional appeal recorded before the Sumy attack, Zelensky implored, “Come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead.”
Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz condemned the attack as a “deliberate war crime,” while outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned it showed Russia’s true stance on peace. French President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of “blatant disregard” for international law and lives, calling for stronger measures to enforce a ceasefire.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the assault as “barbaric” and reiterated the EU’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer echoed similar sentiments, saying he was “appalled” by the attack on civilians.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply alarmed,” stressing that attacks on civilians are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
Sunday’s strike is the deadliest on Ukrainian civilians this year. A similar attack in Kryvyi Rih on April 4 killed 20 people. Russia claimed it targeted military personnel on that occasion but provided no evidence.
The Sumy attack highlights the continued human cost of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022 and has left hundreds of thousands dead or injured and millions displaced, including nearly seven million refugees worldwide.
