More than 30 people have been killed in a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy.
Local officials said two ballistic missiles struck the heart of the city at about 10.30am local time as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday.
Video footage showed fire crews attempting to extinguish the shells of burnt-out cars among the rubble from damaged buildings.
“On this bright Palm Sunday, our community has suffered a terrible tragedy. Unfortunately, we already know of more than 20 deaths,” said acting city mayor Artem Kobzar, initially.
At least 34 people were killed as a result of the attack, including two children, said the state emergency service of Ukraine.
A further 117 people were injured, some of them children, it added.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed rescue efforts are ongoing as “dozens” had been killed in the double missile attack.
“According to preliminary information, dozens of civilians were killed and wounded,” he said.
The attack is the second to claim civilian lives in just over a week, following a deadly missile strike on Mr Zelenskiy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih on April 4th that killed about 20 people, including nine children.
In response to the attack on Sumy, US president Donald Trump suggested on Sunday evening that the missiles strikes may have been “a mistake”.
“I think it was terrible and I was told they made a mistake, but I think it’s a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing,” he told reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Washington.
He did not clarify whether he was saying the attack was unintentional.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris said he was appalled.
“I utterly condemn this cowardly attack by Russia and express deep condolence to the families of those killed. This is just the latest in a series of horrific attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks ... Russia has demonstrated yet again it has no interest in peace and is intent on continuing its illegal war,” said Mr Harris.
He added that the Republic is working with its European and international partners to support Ukraine in the face of continuing Russian aggression.
French president Emmanuel Macron said the strike undermines Washington-led peace talks between the two sides.
“Everyone knows: This war was initiated by Russia alone,” he said in a statement.
“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.”
It comes less than a day after Russia and Ukraine’s top diplomats accused each other of violating a tentative US-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the three-year war.
The two countries’ foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a day after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects.
“The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions,” said Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. He added that Moscow would provide the US, Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyiv’s attacks during the past three weeks.
His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, fiercely contested that claim, saying on Saturday that Russia had launched “almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 [exploding] drones, and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, mostly at civilians”, since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes.
Sumy is 25km from the border with Russia and is a significant Ukrainian military hub. The missiles landed in a central civilian area where many people were on their way to church.
Video from a car dashcam showed an orange flash as one of the missiles struck at 10.20am. Plumes of grey smoke could be seen as other vehicles reversed away from the danger and passersby ran in panic.
The first missile hit a conference centre belonging to Sumy’s state university. Several children were waiting outside for an 11am theatre performance in a basement venue. The second landed 200m away, in Pokrovska Street, as the trolley bus rolled past.
Ukraine military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said Russia had launched two Iskander-M missiles from its western territory in the Voronezh and Kursk regions. He identified the army forces responsible as the 112th and 448th missile brigades. – AP/Guardian
