Russian Missile Strike Kills 34 in Sumy on Palm Sunday, Kyiv Says

On April 13, 2025, a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy killed 34 people and injured 117, marking the deadliest attack in Ukraine this year. The assault, carried out with ballistic missiles and reportedly involving cluster munitions, struck central Sumy where no military presence was evident. Local residents recounted the devastation amid Palm Sunday celebrations, with emergency services struggling amid scenes of wreckage and loss.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy strongly condemned the attack, calling it an act of terror against civilians and urging a robust international response. Along with condemnations from Western leaders, Ukrainian authorities have reported the incident to the International Criminal Court as a war crime. The strike not only worsens the humanitarian crisis but also compounds ongoing diplomatic tensions over alleged breaches of an informal moratorium on targeting energy infrastructure, as both Ukraine and Russia exchange accusations in the wake of the conflict.