A Russian missile strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy has left at least 34 people dead and 117 injured, in what authorities are calling one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in recent months. The Sunday morning assault, carried out with two ballistic missiles, struck the city center, causing widespread devastation and triggering global condemnation.

Ukrainian officials said the missiles—identified as Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic systems—hit a densely populated area, igniting vehicles, destroying infrastructure, and leaving bodies strewn across the streets. Among the dead were two children. Fifteen children are also among the injured, according to Ukraine’s emergency services.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a somber evening address, condemned the strike as “an act only completely deranged scum could commit,” noting the symbolic and spiritual weight of the attack occurring on Palm Sunday, a major Christian holy day.

“In addition to the university, the strike damaged five apartment buildings, cafes, shops, and the district court. In total, the Russian attack damaged 20 buildings,” Zelensky said.

The city has declared three days of mourning. Footage released by local authorities shows charred vehicles, smoldering debris, and medics tending to the wounded amid the rubble. A destroyed trolleybus stood as a grim marker of the chaos unleashed in the heart of Sumy.

Global Condemnation

The international response was swift and strongly worded. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed being “deeply alarmed and shocked,” calling the attack a continuation of a “devastating pattern of assaults on Ukrainian cities and towns.”

US President Donald Trump described the incident as “a horrible thing” when speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. “I was told they made a mistake,” Trump added, though he did not clarify who made the error or what it entailed.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the strike “horrifying,” calling it “a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are putting so much time and effort into trying to end this war and achieve durable peace.” Rubio’s remarks come just days after Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to push for renewed diplomatic efforts.

Zelensky responded by inviting President Trump to visit Ukraine personally.

“Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” he said in an interview set to air on CBS.

European leaders were equally blunt. French President Emmanuel Macron said the strike demonstrated Russia’s “blatant disregard for human lives, international law and the diplomatic efforts of President Trump.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack “appalling,” while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described it as “cowardly.” Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, characterized the incident as a “serious war crime, deliberate and intended.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the strike “barbaric,” particularly because it occurred during a peaceful religious celebration. “The Russian version of a ceasefire. Bloody Palm Sunday,” added Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Escalating Tensions

The strike follows a similarly deadly attack earlier this month in President Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, which killed at least 18 people, including nine children. The latest attack in Sumy has reignited calls in Kyiv for a stronger Western response, particularly for enhanced air defense systems and greater pressure on Moscow.

“Talking has never stopped ballistic missiles and bombs,” Zelensky said, urging the United States and Europe to move beyond diplomatic rhetoric.

Located close to the Russian border, Sumy has been under increasing pressure in recent weeks. Ukrainian military intelligence had previously warned of a potential offensive on the city, especially as Russian forces have regained ground across the border in the Kursk region.

As Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds through its fourth year, the Sumy strike underscores the ongoing peril faced by Ukrainian civilians—and the fragile state of international efforts to deescalate the war.