This Sunday, the city of Sumy, in northeastern Ukraine, was the scene of the deadliest and most massive attack of the year to date, following the impact of Russian ballistic missiles that caused at least 32 dead and 84 injured.
The bombing occurred in the city center, coinciding with Palm Sunday celebrations, one of the busiest days on the Christian calendar, when many citizens were attending religious services.
According to local authorities, one of the missiles directly hit a trolleybus full of passengers, while the other struck a densely populated residential area.
Videos shared by Ukraine's Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, show devastating scenes: destroyed buildings, burning cars, shattered windows, and bodies covered with emergency blankets. Rescue teams were working among the rubble to evacuate the injured and extinguish fires.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, calling it a deliberate act of terror. In a message posted on social media, he noted that the missiles hit civilian areas, including homes, educational institutions, and vehicles on the street, at a time when entire families were heading to church with olive branches, a traditional symbol of Palm Sunday.
"Only a scoundrel can act like this. Russia seeks precisely this kind of terror," the president stated, reiterating that without international pressure, there will be no peace.
Zelensky called for a "strong reaction" from the world and reiterated his request to international allies to provide at least 10 additional Patriot air defense systems, noting that while Russia increases attacks on Ukraine, the systems recently sent by the United States have been allocated to Israel, in the context of tensions with Iran.
