More than 20 people have been killed in a Russian missile strike in the Ukrainian city of Sumy, acting mayor Artyom Kobzar said, quoted by the Associated Press, reports BTA.
Two ballistic missiles hit the city center as locals gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, one of the most important Orthodox holidays.
“On this bright Palm Sunday, our community experienced a terrible tragedy“, Kobzar wrote on social media. “Unfortunately, more than 20 people have already been confirmed dead.“
“The Russians hit the city of Sumy with missiles, killing civilians“, noted the Ukrainian President's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak in a post on the “Ex“ platform, quoted by Reuters.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Combating Disinformation, stressed that the attack was carried out after the visit of US envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia.
“Russia is building this whole so-called diplomacy around strikes on the civilian population“, Kovalenko commented on “Telegram“.
Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in St. Petersburg, recalls Reuters.
The attack on Sumy comes less than 24 hours after the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a preliminary agreement to stop attacks on energy infrastructure, a deal brokered by the United States. The incident highlights the serious challenges to resuming peace talks to end the more than three-year war.