Dozens Killed In 'Horrific' Russian Missile Strike, Prompting EU, US Condemnation

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 13, 2025

Russian forces launched a missile strike on the city of Sumy that local authorities in Ukraine said left at least 34 people dead on April 13, prompting condemnation from Ukrainian leaders, the United States, and the European Union.

Ukraine's state emergency service said two children were among those killed. At least 117 people were also injured in the incident, including 15 children.

The attack was called a "blatant violation of international law" by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. "Strong measures are needed to enforce a cease-fire."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States "extends our deepest condolences to the victims of today's horrifying Russian missile attack on Sumy."

"This is a tragic reminder of why President [Donald] Trump and his administration are putting so much time and effort into trying to end this war and achieve a just and durable peace," he added.

Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said the "Palm Sunday attack by Russian forces on civilian targets in Sumy crosses any line of decency."

UN chief Antonio Guterres "deeply alarmed and shocked'" by the attack in Sumy, his spokesman stated, saying it "continues a devastating pattern of similar assaults on Ukrainian cities and towns in recent weeks."

The British, French, German, and Italian leaders, among others, also quickly condemned the attack.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said police have restricted access to the affected area so that emergency services can work.

He added that a center had been set up to coordinate relief efforts and provide assistance to victims. Psychologists from the state emergency service and the police are also working on the scene.

An RFE/RL correspondent who arrived not long after the attack said it occurred "in a very crowded place -- the center of the city" at a time when many Ukrainians would have been going to church for Palm Sunday.

"People walk there with their children," Alyona Yatsyna said. "There are some cafes. All the cars on the street, including public transport -- a whole bus burned to the ground. There's a lot of destruction. A lot of people were killed."

Describing the attack as a "another war crime by Russia," the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said on Telegram that two Iskander-M / KN-23 ballistic missiles had been launched at Sumy from Russia's Voronezh and Kursk regions.

"It is our shared duty to ensure that no war criminal -- from those who gave the orders to those who launched the missiles -- escapes justice," he added.

Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, claimed the missiles contained cluster munitions.

"The Russians are doing this to kill as many civilians as possible," he said, according to Reuters.

Zelenskyy issued a swift condemnation of the attack, which comes after a Russian strike on the city of Kryviy Rih killed 20 people, including nine children.

"A horrific Russian ballistic missile strike on Sumy. Russian missiles hit an ordinary city street, ordinary life -- residential buildings, educational institutions, cars on the street...." he said in a post on X that included a video of the aftermath of the incident.

"My condolences to the families and loved ones," he added. "A rescue operation is under way. All necessary services are working at the scene."

"The strike fell right on the city center. On Palm Sunday. Only a completely repulsive bastard can do this," he said in his nightly video address.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also denounced the attack.

"Heartbreaking scenes from Sumy this morning as residents gathered for Palm Sunday only to be met by Russian missiles," she said on X. "Horrific example of Russia intensifying attacks while Ukraine has accepted an unconditional ceasefire. My thoughts are with the Ukrainian people today."

Maia Sandu, the president of Ukraine's southwestern neighbor Moldova, was quick to offer her condolences, too.

"Palm Sunday is a day of peace. This morning, as people gathered to pray, Russia bombed Sumy—killing and injuring civilians," she said on X. "Moldova mourns with Ukraine and urges more air defense to save lives. The aggressor must be held accountable. There is no justification for such evil."

There has been no comment yet from the Kremlin on the reported strike.

Moscow has denied allegations of deliberately striking civilian targets in Ukraine throughout the war, even though repeated attacks on hospitals, schools, energy facilities, and residential buildings have been documented throughout the conflict.

The UN reported late last month that at least 413 civilians had been killed in the conflict since the beginning of 2025. It also said that more than 2,000 people had been injured in Ukraine due to Russian aggression in the first three months of the year, an increase of 30 percent compared to the same period in 2024.

The United States, meanwhile, continues to engage in direct talks with Russian officials, as part of a wider deal aimed at rebuilding bilateral relations. White House envoy Steve Witkoff flew to St. Petersburg, Russia, to meet with President Vladimir Putin for more than four hours of talks on April 12.

Neither Witkoff nor the White House issued any public comment after the meeting, though the Kremlin said "aspects of a Ukrainian settlement" had been discussed.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said: "For the second month in a row, Russia has refused to accept the US proposal for a full cease-fire, which Ukraine unconditionally accepted on March 11. Instead, Russia ramps up its terror."

"We urge partners to provide Ukraine with additional air defense capabilities and increase pressure on Moscow. Strength is the only language they can understand and the only way to put an end to the horrific terror."

In expressing "solidarity" and "unwavering commitment" to those who were killed or wounded in the Sumy attack, French President Emmanuel Macron also said "strong measures are needed to impose a cease-fire on Russia."

"Everyone knows: This war was initiated by Russia alone," he wrote on X. "And today, it is clear that Russia alone chooses to continue it -- with blatant disregard for human lives, international law, and the diplomatic efforts of President Trump."

Trump has signaled impatience with the pace of talks to cement a cease-fire in Ukraine. Hours after Witkoff landed in St. Petersburg, Trump posted a message on his social media account, calling the war "senseless" and saying it "should have never happened."

"Russia has to get moving. Too many people are DYING," he wrote.

In an interview broadcast on April 13 with CBS News, Zelenskyy urged Trump to visit Ukraine before any final decisions are made "to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children, destroyed or dead." The interview was conducted in Kryviy Rih following the April 4 attack there.

Elsewhere on April 13, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said it will hold a meeting on Black Sea security on April 15-16, according to TASS, although Ukrainian officials said that such a session had not yet been scheduled.

The meeting would take place in the context of a possible cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. Military representatives from foreign countries will take part, the Russian news agency reported.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-missile-strike- sumy-kills-civilians-ukraine-missiles/33383716.html

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Dozens Killed In 'Horrific' Russian Missile Strike, Prompting EU, US Condemnation