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Russian missile strikes on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy killed at least 34 civilians and injured more than 117. The attack has triggered global outrage and renewed international calls for accountability, with European leaders scrambling to respond.

The attack came just hours before European foreign ministers met in Luxembourg, where the war in Ukraine took center stage. Leaders quickly pivoted to address the attacks in Sumy, condemning Russia’s actions as a war crime and vowing tougher sanctions and political pressure.

Two Russian ballistic missiles struck the center of Sumy on April 13, 2025, as families gathered for a religious holiday. As the buildings collapsed, emergency responders raced through the rubble to pull survivors from beneath the debris. Videos circulating on social media showed widespread destruction in the bustling public square.

“On this bright Palm Sunday, our community has suffered a tragedy,” said acting mayor Artem Kobzar in a statement. “Unfortunately, we already know of more than 20 deaths.” By nightfall, that number had climbed to 34, with hospitals reporting more than 100 critically wounded.

Russia claimed it was targeting military infrastructure, but no evidence has been provided. The scale and nature of the destruction have led international observers to conclude that civilians were deliberately targeted, a potential war crime under international law.

Global condemnation

Leaders across Europe and beyond were quick to respond. Friedrich Merz, Germany’s incoming chancellor, called the missile strike “a perfidious act, and a serious war crime, deliberate and intended.” While Olaf Scholz said the attack demonstrated just “what Russia’s supposed readiness for peace [was] worth.”

French President Emmanuel Macron accused Moscow of showing “blatant disregard of human lives, international law, and the diplomatic efforts of President Trump.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the strike as “barbaric,” declaring that “strong measures are urgently needed to enforce a ceasefire.”

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “appalled at Russia’s horrific attacks on civilians,” while the United Nations voiced similar concerns. A spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres said the UN was “deeply alarmed and shocked,” adding, “Attacks against civilians and civilian objects are prohibited under international humanitarian law, and that any such attacks, wherever they occur, must end immediately.”

Zelenskyy’s plea to Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded swiftly, using the moment to urge U.S. President Donald Trump, who is currently trying to broker a ceasefire with Russia, to see the reality on the ground for himself.

“Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” Zelenskyy said in an interview, recorded before the attack but released in its aftermath.

While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, U.S. President Trump called the strike “terrible” and claimed he was told it had been a “mistake,” though he didn’t clarify who provided that information. Critics argue that the notion of an accidental double missile strike on a civilian area during a major religious holiday strains credibility.

Skepticism is mounting among European leaders about Trump’s ongoing backchannel diplomacy with Russia. Ukrainian officials confirmed that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has met with Vladimir Putin three times, and that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously visited Kyiv to propose a mineral-for-aid deal that Zelenskyy rejected.

EU Ministers vow action in Luxembourg

At the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, originally convened to address a broad range of topics, including the Gaza crisis, EU ministers shifted focus toward Ukraine following the Sumy massacre.

“We have to put the maximum pressure on Russia to end this war, because it takes two to want peace,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “It only takes one to want war.”

French Foreign Minister Jean Noel-Barrot echoed this sentiment, “Russia has no intention to agree to a ceasefire,” he said. “I call on the European Union to impose the harshest possible sanctions against Russia to suffocate its economy and prevent it from fueling its war effort.”

Finland’s Elina Valtonen confirmed that a 17th EU sanctions package is being drafted. “We need to step up on the sanctions,” she said, “and that’s what we are working on.”

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski directly addressed Washington, saying: “I hope that President Trump, the US administration, see that the leader of Russia is mocking their goodwill, and I hope the right decisions are taken.”

Although the Ukraine attack dominated the discussion of the meeting, European ministers also addressed the worsening humanitarian disaster in Gaza, where Israel continues to block aid. EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib urged immediate access to the enclave, saying that “Food is running out while warehouses outside Gaza are full with food rotting because we can’t get in.”

Valtonen added, “Not letting sufficient humanitarian aid to the area is not something we can accept at all. We call on both parties to go back to the ceasefire now.”

War with no end in sight

As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, the toll continues to rise. The UN estimates hundreds of thousands of people have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Nearly seven million Ukrainians remain displaced abroad.

The Sumy attack was not an isolated incident. On April 4, another Russian missile strike killed 20 and injured 61 in Kryvyi Rih. Russia claimed it had targeted a meeting of “unit commanders and Western instructors.”

While diplomats in Europe and Washington scramble for solutions, Sunday’s strike was a grim reminder that for Ukrainians, the war remains immediate, brutal, and far from over.