A Russian ballistic missile strike killed at least 31 people and injured more than 80 others in the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking one of the deadliest single attacks on the country this year.
The strike came amid rising tensions between Moscow and Kyiv, as both sides accuse each other of violating a tentative U.S.-brokered moratorium on attacks targeting energy infrastructure, while diplomatic efforts led by the U.S. have yielded few results.
Zelenskyy condemned the latest attack and accused Russia of “taking the lives of ordinary people,” noting that the strike occurred on Palm Sunday as people attended church services.
“Russian missiles hit an ordinary city street, ordinary life, residential buildings,” he posted on X. “Only filthy scum can act like this.”
Handout footage released by the Ukrainian government and verified by NBC News showed the moment one missile struck with a blinding flash of light before a colossal plume of smoke emerged in the distance.
In another video, an explosion rocks the camera as it shakily pans to a Sumy street suddenly shrouded in smoke. Vehicles were engulfed in flames, debris littered the streets, and panicked residents ran for cover or helped the injured, with at least one casualty sprawled across a sidewalk.
The strikes coincided with ongoing diplomatic efforts by the U.S. that have notably excluded Ukraine.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg for four hours of closed-door talks. The meeting came after President Donald Trump, on Truth Social, urged Witkoff to “get moving” on a ceasefire to end the “terrible and senseless war.”
Neither Moscow nor Witkoff, who later traveled to Oman for talks with Iran, disclosed details of the meeting. Zelenskyy has repeatedly insisted his country should be involved in any talks regarding its future.
The Sumy attack has cast further doubt on Russia’s willingness to pursue a genuine resolution, while Zelenskyy called on Europe and the U.S. to “respond firmly.”
“Without pressure on Russia, peace is impossible,” Zelenskyy added.
But so far, efforts at diplomacy have fallen short.
The two nations used a high-level conference in Turkey on Saturday to once again trade accusations of violating a tentative U.S.-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, with the two foreign ministers speaking at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
“The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that Moscow would provide the U.S., Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyiv’s attacks during the past three weeks, and insisted Russia had stuck to the terms of the deal.
His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, contested that claim, saying Russia had launched “almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 drones, and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, mostly at civilians,” since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes.
“This clearly shows to the world who wants peace and who wants war,” he said.
Russia currently holds about 20% of Ukraine’s territory since it launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
