European officials yesterday condemned Russia’s attack on Sumy, in which dozens of people were killed and wounded, accusing Moscow of war crimes and disregarding Washington’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials stated that two ballistic missiles struck the heart of Sumy on Sunday morning, a city located about 30 kilometers from Ukraine’s border with Russia, as people were gathering to celebrate Palm Sunday, killing at least 34 and injuring 117 people. This is the second large-scale attack on civilians in a week.
Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, whose country currently presides over the European Union (EU), said that these attacks are “Russia’s mockery” of Kyiv’s acceptance of a ceasefire proposed by the United States (U.S.) administration a little over a month ago.
Sikorski told reporters yesterday in Luxembourg, where the meeting of EU foreign ministers was taking place, that he hopes U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. administration will see how the Russian leader is mocking their goodwill, and that he hopes the right decisions will be made.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen stated that the attack on Sumy occurred shortly after Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg. This shows that Russia “ignores the reconciliation process, but also that Russia has no regard for human life.”
Furthermore, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Kestutis Budrys said that cluster bombs were used against civilians in the Russian attack, which is “a war crime by definition.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the attack shows that Putin has no intention of agreeing to a ceasefire. “This means that Putin must be forced to do so, which is why I call on the EU to impose the strictest sanctions against Russia to destroy its economy and prevent it from fueling war efforts,” he said.
The EU has imposed 16 packages of sanctions on Russia and is working on the 17th package, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to agree on these measures as they also affect the economies of European countries.
Future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described this attack as a “serious war crime.”
Merz said that three days after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow, Russia attacked a children’s hospital in Kyiv. “Obviously, he (Putin) does not interpret our willingness to talk to him as a serious offer to enable peace, but as weakness,” he said.
Moreover, Merz confirmed that he stands by his decision to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, which outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz refused to do. He emphasized that the Ukrainian army must be ready to “anticipate the situation” and that any delivery of long-range missiles must be in agreement with European partners.
According to Ukrainian data, two children were killed in the attack, and 15 were injured.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on social media that only “filthy scum can behave this way – taking the lives of ordinary citizens” and added that the first strike hit university buildings, while the second was above street level.
The Office of the President of Ukraine stated that cluster bombs were used to kill as many people as possible. This claim could not be confirmed.
The attack on Sumy was preceded by the April 4th attack on Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, in which around 20 people were killed, including nine children.
Zelenskyy called for a global response to the attack and said that talks have never stopped missiles and bombs and that Russia should be treated the way terrorists deserve.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday evening that he is trying to stop the war. “I think it’s terrible, I was told a mistake was made, but I think it’s a terrible thing,” said Trump.
