A devastating missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy has left at least 34 people dead and 117 wounded, including 15 children, according to Ukrainian officials. The strike occurred mid-morning, around 10:15 local time, with two ballistic missiles slamming into the vicinity of Sumy State University and its nearby congress centre.
Horrific footage and photos circulating online show the brutal aftermath—bodies lying in the street, vehicles ablaze, and buildings torn apart. Among the fatalities were at least two children. President Volodymyr Zelensky later revealed that one of the wounded was a baby girl born earlier this year, urging the international community not to remain silent.
“This was not just an attack—it was an act of pure evil,” Zelensky said in his nightly address. “A strike like this, in the heart of Sumy, on Palm Sunday—only those utterly devoid of humanity could do such a thing.”
The Russian government has yet to issue any statement regarding the attack.
Authorities reported that the missiles caused damage to over 20 structures, including apartment blocks, businesses, and four educational facilities. Public transport wasn’t spared either—ten vehicles and trams were hit during the barrage.
Zelensky renewed calls for international pressure on Moscow, insisting that negotiations alone won’t stop Russian aggression. “No number of peace talks has ever stopped a ballistic missile,” he said. “Russia thrives on this kind of terror. It is deliberately prolonging the war. We need a firm response from the world.”
Local officials believe the missiles were armed with cluster munitions, notorious for scattering deadly submunitions across wide areas. The explosion sites were littered with burnt-out cars, snapped tree limbs, and signs of shrapnel damage.
One local woman, Nataliia, shared how she narrowly escaped with her life. “I was just driving some kids to a shelter. If we hadn’t made it inside in time, we’d be dead now. The second strike hit right where my car was parked.”
Another resident, 51-year-old Svitlana Smirnova, said she had just left church and was seeking shelter when the missiles hit. “One of my friends was on a bus that got caught in the explosion. She’s in surgery now—unconscious. Her son was with her, also hurt.”
The global response to the attack has been swift and damning.
Keith Kellogg, special envoy to Ukraine under the Trump administration, said the bombing was “beyond any moral boundary” and underscored the importance of President Trump’s push to end the conflict.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer labeled the attack “utterly horrific” and called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately accept a ceasefire, as Ukraine has already signaled its willingness to do.
French President Emmanuel Macron also responded forcefully, writing on X that “Russia alone chose to start this war, and Russia alone is choosing to continue it—disregarding human life, international law, and ongoing peace efforts.”
Starmer and Macron have reportedly been in talks about forming a “coalition of the willing”—a united group of nations prepared to enforce any future peace agreement.
This brutal attack comes just days after American envoy Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. Their four-hour meeting reportedly centered on paths to resolve the war in Ukraine. According to Russian diplomat Kirill Dmitriev, it was the third such discussion this year and was characterized as “constructive.”
For now, however, residents of Sumy are left to pick up the pieces—grieving their loved ones and bracing for what may come next.
