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Russian massacre with 34 victims in Ukraine on Palm Sunday, US: Limits are being crossed. EU: Barbaric attack
2025-04-13 21:17:25 / BOTA
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that the Russian attack on the city of Sumy in Ukraine is a "tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are putting so much time into trying to end this war and achieve lasting peace."
He adds that the US expresses its "deepest condolences" to the victims of the missile attacks.
"The attack by Russian forces on civilian targets in Sumy has crossed the boundaries of civilization," said Keith Kellogg, Donald Trump's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, described the attack as barbaric.
"This morning, Russian cruelty struck again, killing men, women and children in the city of Sumy.
A barbaric attack, made even more despicable by the fact that people had gathered peacefully to celebrate Palm Sunday.
"Strong measures are urgently needed to implement a ceasefire," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media.
"This latest escalation is a sad reminder: Russia was and still is the aggressor, in clear violation of international law. Europe will continue to reach out to its partners and keep strong pressure on Russia until the bloodshed stops and a just and lasting peace is achieved, on Ukraine's terms. The victims of today's attack, their families and all Ukrainians are in our hearts. Today and every day. Europe stands with Ukraine and President Zelensky," she continued.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his usual evening message on social media, spoke about the Russian attack on Sumy that left dozens dead and thanked "many world leaders, diplomats and ordinary people with big hearts" who "expressed their condolences to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, condemning the attack."
Zelensky said the deadly attacks in Sumy were carried out by ballistic missiles and called for a "strong response from the world" to the attack, which comes amid US-led efforts to broker an end to the three-year war.
"Among those injured in the Russian attack is a small baby born this year. She was injured in the second attack that exploded on the street.
"Two children were killed in Russian attacks and 15 others were injured. Only completely insane scum could do something like that," Zelensky says.
"Russia wants exactly this kind of terror and is dragging out this war," he said. "Without pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible. Negotiations have never stopped ballistic missiles and bombs. We must treat Russia as a terrorist deserves."
What is missing at this time, he later denounced, is the "adequate pressure" that should be applied to the aggressor.
"Russia has rejected the US proposal for a complete and unconditional ceasefire. This Friday marked one month since Russia rejected the US proposal for a complete and unconditional ceasefire. They are not afraid.
That's why they keep launching ballistic missiles. That's why there are nearly a hundred attack drones every night – most of them Shahed – targeting ordinary Ukrainian cities.
Russian attacks on the front lines continue as well. They don't stop attacking. They don't stop spreading hatred through their state propaganda. Only pressure – only decisive action – can change this.
"Every Russian ballistic missile, every cruise missile, every Shahed drone, and every guided bomb strikes not only our people and our communities, but also the diplomacy – and political efforts of all those trying to end this war. We will continue to do everything we can to protect our people and save lives," the Ukrainian president said.
The Russian military fired two ballistic missiles into the city center at around 10:15 a.m., as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, according to officials.
The attack came less than a day after top diplomats from Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a temporary US-brokered agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, highlighting the difficulties of talks to end the three-year war.
Last month, the Kremlin and the White House announced the broad outlines of a ceasefire – a limited ban on attacks on energy infrastructure such as power plants, transmission lines, substations and similar structures.
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