Russia on Monday claimed its deadly missile attack on Ukraine's Sumy that killed and wounded scores including children had targeted a gathering of Ukrainian troops, while European leaders condemned the attack as a war crime.
Ukrainian officials have said two ballistic missiles on Palm Sunday morning hit the heart of Sumy, a city about 30 kilometers (less than 20 miles) from Ukraine's border with Russia, killing at least 34, including two children, and wounding 119. It was the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in Ukraine in just over a week.
Asked about the attack, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's military only strikes military targets. Russia's Defense Ministry said the strike targeted a gathering of senior military officers and accused Kyiv of using civilians as shields by holding military meetings in the city's center.
The ministry claimed to kill over 60 troops. Russia gave no evidence to back its claims.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a global response to the attack, saying the first strike hit university buildings and the second exploded above street level. “Only real pressure on Russia can stop this. We need tangible sanctions against those sectors that finance the Russian killing machine,” he wrote Monday on social media.
Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, whose country holds the European Union’s rotating presidency, called the attacks “Russia’s mocking answer” to Kyiv’s agreement to a ceasefire proposed by the U.S. over a month ago.
“I hope that President Trump, the U.S. administration, see that the leader of Russia is mocking their goodwill, and I hope the right decisions are taken,” Sikorski told reporters in Luxembourg, where EU foreign ministers met.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen noted that the attack on Sumy came shortly after President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, was in Saint Petersburg for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It demonstrates that “Russia shows full disregard for the peace process, but also that Russia has zero regard for human life," Valtonen said.
Lithuania’s foreign minister, Kestutis Budrys, echoed Ukraine's assertion that the Russian strike used cluster munitions to target civilians, calling it “a war crime by definition.” The Associated Press has been unable to verify that claim.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the attack shows that Putin has no intention of agreeing to a ceasefire, and called for the European Union to "take the toughest sanctions against Russia to suffocate its economy and prevent it from fueling its war effort."
The EU has imposed 16 rounds of sanctions on Russia and is working on a 17th, but the measures are getting harder to agree on because they also impact European economies.
Germany’s chancellor-designate, Friedrich Merz, described the Sumy attack as “a serious war crime" during an appearance on ARD television.
Merz made clear he stands by his past calls to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, something that outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz refused to do. He said the Ukrainian military needs to be able to “get ahead of the situation" and that any delivery of long-range missiles must be done in consultation with European partners.
Asked about Merz's statement, the Kremlin spokesman said such a move would “inevitably lead only to further escalation of the situation around Ukraine," telling reporters that “regrettably, European capitals aren't inclined to search for ways to launch peace talks and are inclined instead to keep provoking the continuation of the war."
Russian forces this month have dropped 2,800 air bombs on Ukraine and fired more than 1,400 strike drones and nearly 60 missiles of various types.
The attack on Sumy followed a April 4 missile strike on Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih that killed some 20 people, including nine children.
Trump has previously described the strike on Sumy as a “mistake.” On Monday, he said the mistake was allowing the war to start in the first place, criticizing former President Joe Biden, Zelenskyy and Putin.
“Biden could’ve stopped it and Zelenskyy could’ve stopped it and Putin should’ve never started it,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “Everybody’s to blame.”
Late Sunday, Russian exploding drones attacked Odesa, injuring eight people. Regional head Oleh Kiper said a medical facility was among the buildings damaged.
Russia fired a total of 62 Shahed drones over Ukraine late Sunday and early Monday, Ukraine's air force said, adding that 40 were destroyed and 11 others jammed.
Two Chinese nationals, who were captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting on the Russian side, said at a news conference in Kyiv on Monday that they had joined the war voluntarily after seeing recruitment announcements on TikTok. They said they weren't encouraged or supported by Chinese authorities, who had warned them about the danger of participating in the conflict.
One of the men, speaking through an interpreter, said he did not intend to take part directly in combat but was sent to the front lines anyway. Another said that Russian recruiters abused his trust and put him in what he described as a “trap.”
They said they were given orders through gestures and hand signals, and Russian personnel constantly accompanied them, leaving no chance for escape. Both said they hope to be included in a future prisoner exchange and return to their families.
It was impossible for the AP to corroborate their statements or independently verify under what circumstances the two men spoke.
When he first announced the capture of the Chinese nationals last week, Zelensky said there were more than 150 other Chinese fighting for Russia. Beijing responded that it always asks its citizens to avoid participating in any military operations.
While China has provided strong diplomatic support for Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it is not believed to have knowingly provided Russia with troops, weapons or military expertise.
U.S. officials have accused Iran of providing Russia with drones, while American and South Korean officials say North Korea has sent thousands of troops to help Russia on the battlefield.
Associated Press writers Chris Megerian in Washington, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Sam McNeil in Barcelona, Spain, Hanna Arhirova and Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
29 Comments
TaiwanIsNotChina
85 days of no ceasefire and continuing russian aggression.
Sanjinosebleed
Funny how this happens in Gaza on a daily basis and the world remains silent…
Guess those double standards are alive and well…
WoodyLee
War Crime for sure and everyone agrees.
But Israel killed over 13,000 children in Gaza alone not counting the west bank, I wonder if this is a war crime too !???
asdfgtr
Targeting children.
Another pathetic and cowardly war crime by the Putin's Russian military.
The world needs to hold them to account.
WoodyLee
The world is watching Hypocrisy at full display.
Two Ugly wars taking the lives of so many innocent souls and yet one war events are called a War Crime and the other war is called Self Defense.
Ukraine and Gaza wars are the results of this Hypocrisy and injustice, when the useless UNSC fails to stop the aggressor with one Veto vote.
TaiwanIsNotChina
I suspect you aren't in favor of doing anything for Ukraine either.
Wick's pencil
He's been begging for a global response for a long time, as the Ukraine-NATO side has clearly been crushed.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Not really a fair fight when MAGA keeps surrendering.
Blacklabel
and Feb 2022-Jan 2025 with everything provided- why didn’t they win already?
HopeSpringsEternal
Ukraine becoming a backstory rapidly, as the US continues to wait for minerals deal to be made "whole" like Europe with their loan $guarantee scheme.
Minerals deal will be the best way to ensure Ukraine's safe and secure future, by committing long-term the US to help rebuild and recover the Ukraine economy.
US support being 'tapered' to pressure Ukraine on above, winding down this largely territorial matter that's unwinnable, while fueling inflation & global destabilization
Special Envoy Witkoff gets it, the eastern and southern Russian speaking areas of former Ukraine wish to remain Russian, so Kiev has not path to re-claim, as these people have fought since 2014 for their independence.
Last issue is Zelenskyy needs to stand before the voters, Trump refers to him as an unelected 'Dictator' regularly, which can't be good for Ukraine.
HopeSpringsEternal
Ukraine's losing territory daily, MANY millions who have fled their country becoming less and less likely to return the longer this conflict continues and voters across US, EU, Ukraine and Russia increasingly want Peace not War
Blacklabel
Ukraine is barely even mentioned in the news cycle anymore.
zelensky saying he would even purchase weapons (where did the money come from?) was largely ignored within 24 hours.
Mr Kipling
Sorry but you are wrong. The killing of civilians in itself is not a war crime.
There are Ukrainian politicians and bloggers outraged that the governor of Sumi was stupid enough to have a medal award paraded. They should have learned not to do this from when exactly the same thing happened in Russia 2 years ago. Wasn't a war crime then either.
No, targeting and hitting a military parade and medal ceremony. But sadly children and other civilians also died. War is not nice for children and other living things.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Because you did not provide everything. You didn't provide millions of shells or F-35s. Also there was the MAGA feet dragging when the time was most critical.
TaiwanIsNotChina
I guess the voters in russia haven't been heard from yet.
It's not a territorial matter when Putin want's to wipe Ukraine off of the map.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Targeting them and their infrastructure, either deliberately or through incompetence is, however. russia has done it in spades.
Blacklabel
now you want F-35s?
and we did provide millions of shells.
define “feet dragging”, what didn’t you get?
Blacklabel
And if it’s only Americas fault that Ukraine wasn’t provided every single desire immediately….doesnt that make it a US proxy war?
why yes it does.
TaiwanIsNotChina
That's what was needed.
russia produces the same in a year what the US gave in the entire war. Not "enough" millions let's say and the current manufacturing is a joke.
The delay from the 2nd half of 2023 to the 1st half of 2024. Right when Ukraine was trying to win the war. You're not very good with military matters so let me explain that if you don't provide the ammunition continually, Ukraine has to retreat.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/long-awaited-aid-ukraine-israel-taiwan-poised-pass-us-congress-2024-04-23/
TaiwanIsNotChina
Can it be a war for Ukraine's survival and also a proxy war? Why yes, yes it can.
HopeSpringsEternal
DJT stated today in Oval Office, Ukraine never should have allowed this war to start because it's a war they could never win, even with endless $proxy/foreign support
chatanista
Western media claims Russia targeted civilians, Russian media claims they targeted military officers gathering / award ceremony. Everyone can make their own conclusion about this but there seems to be nothing for Russia to gain by targeting civilian church goers in contrast to targeting a military ceremony.
Fos
Lets not forget that this terrible war was provoked by American neocons who deliberately ignored Putin's red lines about NATO expansion and western meddling in his backyard spelt out consistently since at least 2008. The big US industrial military complex is hugely profiting by the multibillion dollars sales of American weapons, that explains why Wall Street rose to all time high
Fos
And Washington is always on front row when it comes to profiting with their constant warmongering
JJE
It was a legitimate military target.
And no one ever heard of an "unconditional ceasefire" in recorded history.
Plus, still 100% a provoked conflict.
Blacklabel
There is just zero interest in Ukraine any more, people moved on.
NZ
UA artillery have latest weaponry from NATO and UA forces are prevailing while Russians equipped with shovels and stealing chips from UA microwaves ate at loosing side.
question
what did UA to stop this russian missiles?
did bosses from UK slept same time?yes I mean those who managing UA artillery/source british Time/.
A far-right Ukrainian mayor has accused the head of his region’s military of being responsible for a gathering of Ukrainian soldiers in the border city of Sumy, which became the target of a reported Russian cruise missile strike on Sunday.
Konotop mayor, Artyom Semenikhin, of the Svoboda party, claimed on Sunday that Vladimir Artyukh, the head of his region’s military administration, is responsible for the loss of life in Sumy.
Artyukh organized an award ceremony for the soldiers of the 117th brigade in that building. He was warned that this should not be done.
just to make story better balanced and more complete with context.
JJE
Can it be a provoked conflict? Why yes, yes it can.
Fos
Like we said yesterday, the big US industrial military apparatus representatives have to eat as well. Balanced stories (see the double standards with the Gaza spin) would not promote the sales of American weapons to support the wars all over the globe. Including destabilizing Asia. Diplomacy or pacifists are considered trouble for Wall Street. Welcome to US allies world