Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Philippa Fletcher Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Russia's Defense Ministry said Friday that its forces were establishing a buffer zone in the areas of northeastern Ukraine's Sumy region that border southwestern Russia's Kursk region where Moscow recently said it forced out Kyiv's troops President Vladimir Putin proposed establishing the so-called “buffer zone” to safeguard the Kursk region from future attacks during his visit there in March. His proposal was followed by reports of a potential Russian offensive, which Ukraine's top commander confirmed last month Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told Putin last week that the Kursk region had been “fully liberated” with the help of North Korean soldiers Kyiv maintains that its forces are still present in parts of the Kursk region where Ukrainian troops launched a surprise incursion in August 2024 “The creation of a 'security belt' continues on the territory of Sumy border areas in Ukraine,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement Friday Sumy region Governor Oleh Hryhorov said Tuesday that Russian troops struggled to gain "significant success" in carving out a buffer zone He said four border villages were in a "gray zone" due to border attacks, with the DeepState open-source battlefield monitor saying 82 square kilometers (32 square miles) of the Sumy region are under neither side's control Meanwhile, Russian state media quoted an anonymous Russian security source as saying that Ukrainian forces were establishing "several defensive lines" in the Sumy region Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help please support us monthly starting from just $2 and every contribution makes a significant impact independent journalism in the face of repression This was reported by the Sumy Regional Military Administration (RMA) on Telegram Russian forces carried out around 130 attacks at 43 settlements across 14 territorial communities in Sumy region The most intense strikes were in Sumy and Shostka districts Russian forces used guided aerial bombs (KABs) two civilians were wounded in Seredyno-Buda community of Shostka district In Seredyno-Buda and Krasnopillia communities together with the State Emergency Service (SES) evacuated 38 people from border communities air raid alerts lasted for 13 hours and 40 minutes across the region While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and a video was released these shelters were occupied by enemy pilots “Both targets have been successfully destroyed we are looking for the next ones,” the statement said As Ukrinform reported earlier, soldiers of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine destroyed two Russian Su-30 fighters using AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles with infrared guidance fired from Magura-7 unmanned maritime platforms This was reported by the National Police of Ukraine The woman had refused to leave earlier because she didn’t want to abandon her property but she agreed to evacuate after a bomb hit near her home but also her three dogs and over 30 chickens the unit recently rescued an 18-year-old and an elderly couple from Lyman community in Donetsk region another area under frequent Russian attacks dead everywhere’ — Sumy in shock after double-tap missile attack kills 35April 15 2025 1:29 AM8 min readBodies of the people killed in a Russian ballistic missile strike lie covered with emergency blankets at the strike site in the northeastern city of Sumy on April 13 (Oleksandr Oleksienko/Kordon.Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) by Asami TerajimaEditor's note: This article contains graphic descriptions SUMY — Valeriia Maksimova and her husband woke up to the first explosion in central Sumy at around 10 a.m The 38-year-old rushed to the kitchen to start clearing the rubble when the second explosion struck “Everything happened so quickly,” Maksimova told the Kyiv Independent the day after the attack and their 19-year-old son were lucky to survive Russia’s morning double-tap missile strike on the northeastern city of Sumy killed 35 civilians and wounded over 110 in what became the deadliest attack in many months Russia deployed cluster munitions in its second attack that occurred a few minutes after the first inflicting deliberate casualties on civilians in downtown Sumy on Palm Sunday local authorities told the Kyiv Independent Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink confirmed Russia’s deployment of the cluster munitions on April 13 saying that “it was impossible to watch.” For him it is a shock that the apartment where he had lived all his life — and where he raised his only son — was now without windows and covered in rubble where she had sustained an injury following Russia's ballistic missile strike just outside in the northeastern city of Sumy on April 14 (Nick Allard / The Kyiv Independent)“We could have never imagined that such things would happen,” Volodymyr said “The whole street was covered with corpses and wounded people,” he added The deadly attack comes as the U.S. tries to end the three-year-long war in Ukraine at all costs, pushing for a rushed peace deal. Two days before the attack, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg to discuss “aspects of the Ukrainian settlement.” U.S. President Donald Trump, who has long stood by his belief that Russia was serious about peace talks, called the Sumy attack “terrible” but added that Russia conducted it by “mistake” without elaborating further The Sumy attack followed another deadly Russian missile strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih in the central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on April 4 Bodies of two people killed in a Russian ballistic missile strike lie covered with an emergency blanket at the attack site in the northeastern city of Sumy on April 13 (Yehor Kryvoruchko/Kordon.Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)The weak American response to the attacks was contrasted by a frank one from Europe European leaders condemned the Russian attack on Sumy as “a war crime,” with U.K Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying that he was “appalled” by Moscow’s latest targeting of civilians French President Emmanuel Macron called for stronger measures to impose the ceasefire on Russia, echoing President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call European countries have also mustered up billions of dollars in military support as well as many locals who were devastated by the strike dropped by the blast site to lay flowers and toys in tribute to the victims Sumy residents who spoke to the Kyiv Independent harshly dismissed the feasibility of peace talks saying that the attacks have only gotten worse in recent months compared to a year ago They also expressed deep “hatred” toward Russia for continuously launching such deadly attacks Fighting still continues in the border areas Emergency workers continued to dismantle the ruins of the Sumy State University building that was ruined by the Russian attack carefully using a crane to ensure there were no victims inside They told the Kyiv Independent that all casualties were pedestrians and civilians in their own vehicles or public transport with no victims found under the rubble in any of the destruction or damaged sites The emergency workers found the largest number of killed victims in the burnt bus with the preliminary count being seven dead a 35-year-old spokesperson at the local State Emergency Service There were elderly people and children in the bus Two emergency workers told the Kyiv Independent that the team had to break down the burnt-out vehicles to recover the corpses The body of a man killed in a Russian ballistic missile strike lies next to a wrecked bus in the northeastern city of Sumy on April 13 (Oleksandr Oleksienko/Kordon.Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)“You never see such things in terrible films people being burnt alive,” Strilka told the Kyiv Independent at the attack site saying that he believes Russia is trying to “destroy us.” one of the emergency workers said he saw two people who had been burned alive there was a victim who had suffered from shrapnel wounds and died before the rescuers were able to pull the wounded out Over 50 buildings were damaged in central Sumy The constant aerial threat veiled Sumy throughout the day on April 14 with the emergency workers having to rush to the shelter each time The two missile attacks happened within less than five minutes of each other giving enough people and rescuers time to run outside to help the wounded when the second one struck according to the emergency service workers interviewed who oversees a seafood shop owned by her son underneath Maksimova’s apartment building is now uncertain about her business prospects who oversees a seafood shop owned by her son that was damaged by a Russian missile strike just outside talks to the Kyiv Independent in the northeastern city of Sumy on April 14 (Nick Allard / The Kyiv Independent)The director of the shop had received heavy injuries — and remains in the hospital awaiting surgery — after she had run outside to help the wounded following the first strike Her other employees working that day were wounded as well Kulomza said that her 25-year-old family business, Dary Morya, had been heavily affected by the war. Just a week ago, she said that the business’s manufacturing site had been struck with Shahed-type attack drones we don’t know (what our future holds),” Kulomza said who expressed uncertainty over heading to the basement shelter each time there is an aerial threat or putting the employees at risk the employees were busy cleaning the damaged shop The feeling of uncertainty and devastation was spread across the entire city home to some 250,000 people before the full-scale war Three elderly women sat on a bench outside in the courtyard behind their apartment building facing the intersection and the demolished university building on April 14 said they sat in different spots to distract themselves from what was happening had hit her head hard due to the blast wave and had suffered a concussion She said that something had fallen on her legs as well People lay flowers as they visit a makeshift memorial at the site of a missile attack in the northeastern city of Sumy on April 14 (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images)A woman reacts as she visits a makeshift memorial at the site of a missile attack in the northeastern city of Sumy on April 14 (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images)She is worried whether her pension of 4,000 hryvnia (about $100) would be enough to support the damage left behind from the attack in her apartment But she said she has her husband’s support While Shelyhina said that even though she had warm memories of Sumy and the recollection from her younger years in the neighborhood “now there are no good memories” that she remembers because of the series of devastating attacks and war horrors Dismissing prospects of the U.S. trying to pull through peace negotiations with Russia not for herself but for those who haven’t lived their lives yet “You can only negotiate with a person who will give you his words and keep them,” Shelyhina told the Kyiv Independent “If a person gives you his words and then tries to deceive you Telling human stories is the most difficult part of my work Russia's deadly attacks against Ukraine rage on killing many civilians who had already suffered so much from the war My colleagues and I are working around the clock to bring you the latest updates Please consider joining the Kyiv Independent community Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023 She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine At least 34 people have died after Russian missiles hit the city of Sumy in Ukraine as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday issued a strongly worded condemnation of the deadly Russian missile strike on the city of Sumy At least 32 people were killed as a result of the attack the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said in a statement Russian missiles struck the heart of the Ukrainian city of Sumy as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday A woman was killed in Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Kherson on Sunday Footage released by Oleksandr Prokudin showed smouldering rubble outside the damaged buildings A dead body lies on the ground after a Russian missile strike on Sumy Ukrainian servicemen carry a dead body from a trolleybus after a Russian missile strike on Sumy A rescue worker rests near university building destroyed by a Russian missile strike on Sumy Rescue workers clear the rubble of a university building destroyed by a Russian missile strike on Sumy In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service firefighters put out the fire following Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy The city center in the aftermath of the Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians in Sumy In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Press Service bodies of the killed residents lie on the ground following a Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy (Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Press Service via AP) ruines of the regional human rights department building is seen following a Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy The body of the killed resident lies in a bus following the Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians in Sumy firefighters inspects a burnt car with victims inside following Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 24 civilians in Sumy bodies of the killed residents lie on the ground following Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 24 civilians in Sumy firefighters carry a body of the victim following Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 24 civilians in Sumy A damaged public bus is seen in the city center after Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians in Sumy A man cries as he leans on the bus that was hit by a Russian missile on Sumy Dead bodies lie on the ground after a Russian missile strike on Sumy A rescue worker puts out a fire from a tree after a Russian missile strike on Sumy Ukrainian servicemen carry a dead body after a Russian missile strike on Sumy searchers clear the rubble following Russia’s missile attack that killed at least 32 civilians in Sumy In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sunday Russian soldiers in an undisclosed location in Ukraine fire an anti-tank missile during exercising (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) The two ballistic missiles hit around 10:15 a.m. Images from the scene showed lines of black body bags on the side of the road while more bodies were seen wrapped in foil blankets among the debris Video footage also showed fire crews fighting to extinguish the shells of burned-out cars among the rubble from damaged buildings “Only filthy scum can act like this — taking the lives of ordinary people,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he said the first strike hit buildings belonging to a city university while the second exploded above street level The head of the Ukrainian president’s office said cluster munitions were used to kill as many people as possible The Associated Press was unable to verify that claim Zelenskyy called for a global response to the attack “Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs What’s needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves,” he said Other world leaders also condemned the attack with French President Emmanuel Macron saying that it undermined Washington-led peace talks between the sides “Everyone knows: This war was initiated by Russia alone it is clear that Russia alone chooses to continue it — with blatant disregard for human lives international law and the diplomatic efforts” of U.S Trump said late Sunday evening that he was trying to get the war stopped “I think it was terrible and I was told they made a mistake I think the whole war is a horrible thing,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington He did not clarify whether he was saying the attack was unintentional and a 48-year-old man were killed in Russian attacks on the Kherson region Another person was killed during Russian shelling on Ukraine’s Donetsk region The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv said a Russian strike hit one of the city’s kindergartens shattering windows and damaging the building’s facade The strikes come a day after Russia and Ukraine’s senior diplomats accused each other of violating a tentative U.S.-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the three-year war “The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning maybe with two or three exceptions,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyiv’s attacks during the past three weeks saying Saturday that Russia had launched almost 70 missiles over 2,200 exploding drones and more than 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine “mostly at civilians” since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes said the Sumy attack crossed “any line of decency” and that the White House remained committed to ending the conflict “There are scores of civilian dead and wounded Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the attack “horrifying” and said it offered “a tragic reminder” of why the administration was trying to end the war in favor of “a just and durable peace.” Associated Press journalists Volodymr Yuchuk in Kyiv Ukraine and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester This story corrects Kellogg’s current title with the second causing the most casualties when it exploded over a street Ukrainian authorities told the BBC that 20 buildings were damaged The BBC's James Waterhouse reports from the scene of the strike ShareSaveWhy this Conclave means it's harder than ever to predict the next PopeThe BBC's religion editor Aleem Maqbool explains why it's so difficult to guess who will be the next pontiff. 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Tariffs will 'drastically' impact global pharmaceutical supplyUS President Donald Trump is expected to announce a new round of tariffs later on Wednesday. Watch: Iceland volcano spews lava and smoke after eruptingPeople are being evacuated as a volcano erupts in south-west Iceland, threatening a town. Cars carried away as flash flooding hits Greek islandHeavy rain on the Greek island of Paros saw cars and debris swept through the streets. Rocket crashes back to Earth just moments after launch in NorwayThe Spectrum rocket's first test flight lasted 30 seconds but researchers say it will still provide useful data. Ukrainians grieve and clear away wreckage in north-eastern city after morning attack that killed at least 35 On a warm spring day relatives gathered to say goodbye to Viktor Boiko and his wife Their open coffins were laid out next to one other with carnations heaped around her slippered feet Gravediggers lowered the couple into the ground I want to kill those butchers in Moscow,” said Viktor’s brother-in-law Anatolii Prykhodko On either side were elegant buildings belonging to Sumy state university A Russian Iskander missile carrying cluster munitions plunged down from the sky other passengers and people in the street strolling past cafes and shops Another missile hit the university’s conference centre punching through its glass atrium and balcony Rescuers saw an apocalyptic scene The blast ripped a hole in the university’s economics and business department It blew out the windows and wooden doors from the 19th-century institute of applied physics across the road Fragments flew through the institute’s garden The spot was a popular backdrop for wedding photos people visited the scene to lay flowers as firefighters perched on a shattered roof “The weather had recently warmed up and people were on their way to church We have a tradition in Ukraine that we buy willow branches.” She added: “This is a huge sorrow for the whole city Two children are among the 35 people who were killed by the Russian cluster munitions Photograph: Anastasia Vlasova/The GuardianAmong the dead were two children There were cuddly toys at the spot where he perished Someone had left a plastic football with “To Max” written on it The organist at Sumy’s philharmonic concert hall was killed nearby on her way to a rehearsal Sumy is situated a mere 16 miles (25km) from the Russian border Residents are used to frequent drone and rocket attacks and to the constant wail of air raid sirens It was the most egregious Russian attack this year Eleven people remain in a critical condition Donald Trump appeared to downplay the latest Russian atrocity by falsely claiming they “started” the war with Russia the head of the damaged conference centre in Sumy This is an act by stupid and angry Russians But the world has to understand what is happening here.” Khvostov gave a tour of the ruined building The missile blew a four-metre hole in the ground floor and careened into the basement A children’s show was due to take place there at 11am Jagged pieces from the Iskander missile landed amid prepared sandwiches Large holes dinted the venue’s black walls The missiles struck at 10.23am on Palm Sunday killing people walking in the street and riding on a bus Photograph: Anastasia Vlasova/The Guardian“It was a miracle nobody was killed,” Khvostov said he called the centre’s elderly security guard and had managed to drag one of Khvostov’s colleagues from the administration’s office Several people drinking coffee from a mobile kiosk were injured There were broken computers and desks and a toppled-over safe “It’s too early to say if this place can be rebuilt a JCB digger scooped piles of debris into a lorry said: “My windows blew in and my neighbour was hurt said one of his friends was planning to leave Sumy due to the attack They are representatives of a past cold war generation It seems their plan is to divide up the world between them.” The explosion damaged a chandelier in an upstairs lecture room and a charcoal portrait of a Sumy physicist A whiteboard with an equation on it survived unscathed a Quartz wall clock had stopped at the exact moment of impact: 10.23am and 40 seconds A shelf of physics books was covered in a layer of thick dust Ornate plasterwork on the ceiling had disappeared “We were planning to go into town with our small son on Sunday morning He decided he didn’t want to leave the house We heard an enormous bang,” Lebedynskyi said He added: “For more than 10 years the Russians have behaved like terrorists.” On Tuesday, Ukraine’s armed forces carried out a form of revenge. The country’s military said it had successfully hit the headquarters of a Russian missile brigade responsible for Sunday’s carnage. “[A base] of the 448th missile brigade of the Russian occupiers was hit, a secondary detonation of ammunition was recorded. The results of the strike are being clarified,” it said in a statement. Back at Sumy’s cemetery, a gravedigger spoke fondly of Kohut, describing her as a talented and popular organist. “She was my friend. A very democratic person. She treated everyone the same way, whether you were important or not,” Valeriy Rodenko said. Rodenko said he had worked for seven years as a carpenter at the city’s philharmonic concert hall. “I got to know Olena well. She was a wonderful person. A bright spirit,” he said. He put down his spade and broke down in tears. You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that all those who blamed Russia for attacking civilians in the Ukrainian city of Sumy should "kneel before the world" once the circumstances were clarified by the Ukrainian authorities themselves. Zakharova said on Telegram that the reactions of European leaders failed to grasp the reality of the situation, as they were “driven by an impulse to smear Russia." Instead, they hastily accused Russia of targeting civilians and indulged in "frenetic Russophobic competition, grasping at any pretext to damage relations with Moscow, already strained for many years." Zakharova emphasized that the war crime perpetrated by the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, Volodymyr Artyukh, who organized a rally of Armed Forces of Ukraine militants with the involvement of women and children at the event, sparked outrage even domestically, compelling his resignation. "When the gathering of militants was eliminated, they rushed to blame Russia. Yet once it became evident that the authorities intentionally exploited children to shield criminals, silence ensued," she said, adding that "logically, following these revelations and resignations, they ought to bow down before the entire world." The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday reported a strike using two Iskander-M missiles at the meeting place of the command staff of the Seversk operational and tactical group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Sumy. CNN's Ben Hunte reports on Russia's deadly attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy that left at least 34 people dead and struck terror into residents who were out enjoying Palm Sunday and attending morning church services '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+"  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 9:37 am)Ukraine's drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims, ahead of Victory Day parade. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce."  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 9:36 am)War analysisFrance is sending Ukraine more AASM Hammer bombs — here's what they can do Polish President Andrzej Duda said the United States has tools that can effectively influence the Kremlin arguing that only President Donald Trump has real leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin The number includes 1,430 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement" by Benjamin Nathans which covers dissent in the Soviet Union and Russia today Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 5 announced they had facilitated Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash's escape from Russia to France after she fled house arrest on April 21 A Russian drone attack on Odesa Oblast on May 5 killed one and caused damage to local infrastructure "We appreciate that Germany plays a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine throughout the years of war Ukraine is also grateful for your personal commitment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5 Far-right Euroskeptic candidate George Simion head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan placed second with 20.99% of the vote and the candidate from the ruling coalition by Kateryna Hodunova, The Kyiv Independent news deskState Emergency Service workers on site after a Russian missile attack on Sumy on April 13 (State Emergency Service / Telegram)The Russian April 13 attack on the city center of Sumy killed 35 people Prosecutor's Office of Sumy Oblast reported on April 14 The attack occurred on Palm Sunday and is one of the deadliest on Sumy Sumy, a city close to the Russia-Ukraine border, has been the target of constant strikes since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia used cluster munitions in the attack Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said on April 13 An 11-year-old boy and a 17-year-old man are among the killed, the report read One hundred twenty people, including 105 adults and 15 children, also sought medical assistance. Forty-three victims, nine of whom are children, are currently undergoing inpatient treatment, according to Sumy City Council European leaders widely condemned the attack. President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked those who expressed solidarity but emphasized that condemnation alone is not enough The missile strike occurred amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire. Russia has refused to join a U.S.-proposed 30-day full truce and has continued attacks despite partial agreements to limit strikes on infrastructure and the Black Sea Dramatic CCTV footage from a grocery shop in the Ukrainian city of Sumy showed the moment a devastating Russian missile strike hit the city in the deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians this year (AP Video by Alex Babenko / Produced by Evgeniy Maloletka and Yehor Konovalov) Medical personnel in the Ukrainian town of Sumy are still dealing with the aftermath of Russia’s worst attack this year which targeted the city in back-to-back missile strikes killing 35 people and injuring more than 100 others (AP video by Alex Babenko Produced by Yehor Konovalov) the farewell ceremony for pianist Olena Kohut was held Monday in the local theater where she worked and often played Smoke rose over the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Monday after it was hit by a Russian drone strike It happened a day after at least 35 people celebrating Palm Sunday were killed when Russian missiles struck the heart of the city after being injured on Sunday by a Russian missile strike on Sumy while trying to help others evacuate a burning bus that he later exited through a shattered window Hanna seeks to her husband Victor Voitenko injured in a deadly Palm Sunday Russian attack on Sumy on April 13 Women put flowers on a site of a Russian missile strike in Sumy Oleksandr Zaitsev treats a patient injured in a deadly Palm Sunday Russian attack on Sumy on April 13 Mother Natalia says goodbye to her daughter Olena Kohut an orchestra musician who was killed in a deadly Palm Sunday Russian attack on Sumy on April 13 cries after laying flowers and toys on a site of a Russian missile strike in Sumy A woman cleans her window after a Russian missile strike on Sumy Smoke rises from an explosion following a Russian drone strike on Sumy Ukraine (AP) — The humdrum of daily life in Sumy belies the constant threat of death its people have lived with since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago Sumy is only about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border of Russia’s Kursk region where Ukrainian soldiers are defending the last sliver of territory they took in a surprise offensive last summer Residents say there has been an uptick in attacks on Sumy in recent weeks though none as bloody as Sunday’s airstrike the talks seem far-removed from their daily struggles As some of the victims of Sunday’s attack were laid to rest on Tuesday described how he ended up paralyzed in a hospital bed He was working as a security guard when the second missile hit and shattered his spine lovingly applied his deodorant — a simple act he could no longer perform Mention of the ceasefire negotiations conjured a weary smile from her It seems to be public relations to me,” Hanna Voitenko said “Nothing happens to bring comfort to regular people.” Her husband offered his own take: “They are stalling for time.” errands and planned family visits brought the victims of Sunday’s attack to the intersection of Petropavlivska Street and the state university on Sunday morning was working at a cafe and thinking about whether to buy pastries after her shift when the first missile strike left her in shock and bleeding profusely from her legs the times “10:20” and “10:23" were still scrawled in marker on her thighs noting when medics applied tourniquets to them Maryna Illiashenko and her 13-year old son heard the sound of that first blast ricochet across the center city as they waited for a bus but the teenager was more excited about wrestling practice later that afternoon they boarded the bus when it arrived a few minutes later the second missile crashed a few feet from the vehicle killing the bus driver and causing shrapnel to rain down Three fragments tore through Kyrylo’s scalp and scratched Maryna’s face the teen leaped out of the shattered bus window and pried open the locked door from outside “I don’t want to think about this as a new type of reality for Sumy city We can clearly see that our frontline cities are being erased,” Oleh Strilka a spokesperson for the city’s State Emergency Service said while standing outside the collapsed facade of the university building “The most painful thing for me is our children “I don’t want our 13-year-old kids becoming heroes.” was waiting in a neighbor’s house for a haircut She was standing in line in the kitchen when the windows suddenly shattered She said the fridge she was next to saved her life have to be prepared to head to the scene of the next attack at all times He was among the first to arrive at the university grounds on Sunday Most people he found were too badly injured to help He holds on to little hope that ceasefire talks will bear fruit The children’s hospital where Kyrylo Illiashenko is recovering bears the scars of repeated drone attacks More than 100 windows were shattered only two weeks ago when a massive drone attack struck nearby As workers cleared rubble from the sites of the missile strikes Tuesday and Kyrylo expounded on his favorite computer games plumes of smoke could be seen rising from a nearby railway line The city lies around 30 miles (48km) from the Russian border President Zelensky says Russia hit the centre of Sumy "on the day when people go to church – Palm Sunday the feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem" Footage provided by the Sumy Regional State Administration Follow the latest developments on this story on our live page. ShareSavePeople cheer as power comes back on in MadridResidents applauded as the lights came back on in Spain's capital, after a huge power cut brought the country to a standstill. Watch: Traffic chaos as Spain and Portugal face power outagesFrom traffic lights turning off in Spain, to Metro stations plunged into darkness in Portugal - power outages have caused havoc. Why this Conclave means it's harder than ever to predict the next PopeThe BBC's religion editor Aleem Maqbool explains why it's so difficult to guess who will be the next pontiff. Watch: Pope blesses crowd as Easter celebrated worldwideThe most important date in the Christian calendar is being marked around the world. Spanish police uncover illegal underground shooting rangePolice suspect the range was used by a weapons trafficking ring to test assault rifles and other arms. New speed climbing record set in the Swiss AlpsA climbing pair shatter the record for completing the daunting north faces of a famed trio of Swiss mountains. Speeches in Italian and wedding anniversary mark King's visit to ItalyOn the third day of their state visit, the King and Queen celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. Watch: Moment the King delivers speech in ItalianThe King receives a long standing ovation from parliamentarians in Rome, as he gave a speech on the third day of his state visit to Italy. According to Ukrinform, this was reported on Facebook by Head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Oleh Klymenko. "Russians struck residential streets in the village of Velyka Pysarivka with guided aerial bombs. A civilian resident was killed," Klymenko wrote. In addition, as a result of the shelling of Bilopillia with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), houses, power lines, and a gas pipeline were damaged. Two women sought medical attention, he informed. Klymenko added that due to the shelling, part of Bilopillia was left without electricity. Power crews are already working to restore power supply. As reported by Ukrinform, over the course of the day, Russian forces shelled populated areas of Sumy region 90 times, damaging residential buildings. Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421. © 2015-2025 Ukrinform. All rights reserved. Writing by Max Hunder; Editing by David Goodman taking the lives of ordinary people," Zelenskiy said noting that the attack took place on Palm Sunday the Sunday before Easter when many Christians attend church.Zelenskiy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Russia was trying to "kill as many civilians as possible." Foreign Minister Sybiha said Kyiv was "sharing detailed information about this war crime with all of our partners and international institutions."The leaders of Britain said it was terrible."And I was told they made a mistake," he said without elaborating further "But I think it's a horrible thing."Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was asked at his daily briefing how the Kremlin viewed Trump's comment and whether the strike had been conducted in error.He replied that the Kremlin did not comment on the course of the war and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Putin was mocking the goodwill of Trump and his administration.Reporting by Reuters in Moscow and Kyiv; editing by Barbara Lewis Russia said on Friday that it continues its efforts to create a “security zone” in the border areas of Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region as it reiterated claims of pushing Kyiv out of its border region of Kursk late last month In a statement on the progress of military actions in Ukraine over the past week the Defense Ministry reaffirmed its claim of pushing Ukrainian troops out of Kursk where Kyiv had launched an incursion last August The ministry said Russia re-captured the border village of Gornal describing it as the last settlement under Ukrainian control in the region Gornal is situated about 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) northeast of the city of Sumy Russia on April 26 said it captured the village and completely pushed Ukrainian forces out of Kursk saying its defensive operations in the region are still ongoing but acknowledged that the operational situation is "difficult." “The creation of a ‘security zone’ in the border areas of the Sumy region of Ukraine continues,” the ministry added Kyiv's incursion into the Kursk region began on the night of Aug when its forces entered near the town of Sudzha approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the Ukrainian border Kyiv claimed it had captured more than 1,300 square kilometres (501 square miles) of Kursk but has since been gradually pushed out by a Russian counteroffensive Moscow also claimed capturing settlements in Sumy but independent verification is difficult due to the ongoing war This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Ukraine (AP) — At least 32 people have been killed in a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday Two ballistic missiles struck the heart of the city at around 10:15 a.m as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday Images posted from the scene on official channels showed lines of black body bags lying on the side of the road Video footage also showed fire crews as they fought to extinguish the shells of burnt-out cars among the rubble from damaged buildings our community has suffered a terrible tragedy," acting Mayor Artem Kobzar said in a statement on social media Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that rescue efforts were ongoing and said "dozens" had been killed in the double missile attack dozens of civilians were killed and wounded Only filthy scum can act like this — taking the lives of ordinary people," he said The attack on Sumy is the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in just over a week following a deadly missile strike on Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih on April 4 that killed some 20 people Zelenskyy also called for a global response to the attack "Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs What's needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves," he said the mayor of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv said Sunday that a Russian strike had hit one of the city's kindergartens shattering windows and damaging the building's facade The strikes come a day after Russia and Ukraine's senior diplomats accused each other of violating a tentative U.S.-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the 3-year war The two countries' foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects "The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning maybe with two or three exceptions," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyiv's attacks during the past three weeks saying Saturday that Russia had launched "almost 70 missiles and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine mostly at civilians" since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes Become an NPR sponsor You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed According to Ukrinform, the Sumy Regional Military Administration reported this on Facebook From the morning of May 1 to the morning of May 2, the Russians struck more than 70 times at 23 settlements in 9 territorial communities of Sumy region Most attacks were recorded in Sumy and Shostka districts The enemy launched 15 attacks with guided aerial bombs and carried out more than 30 attacks with FPV drones Another 27 people were evacuated from the border communities over the day The air alert in Sumy region lasted 12 hours and 29 minutes As Ukrinform reported, on the night of May 1, Russians attacked an industrial facility in the Sumy community. by Martin FornusekThe aftermath of a Russian missile attack on Sumy (State Emergency Service / Telegram)The U.S has told the other G7 members it would not support a joint statement condemning Russia's deadly attack on Sumy last week so as not to disrupt peace efforts Russia launched the missile attack against the northeastern city on Palm Sunday on April 13 It marked one of the worst attacks against Sumy throughout the full-scale war Canada, currently chairing the G7 group, reportedly told other members that the statement could not be adopted without U.S. support. According to Bloomberg the statement was to denounce Russia's attack as evidence that Moscow is determined to continue its war While European leaders have denounced the attack as a war crime, Trump adopted a softer tone saying that while the strike was "terrible," it likely occurred by "mistake," without elaborating further U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered condolences to the victims of the "horrifying Russian missile attack on Sumy" but stopped short of calling for an increasing pressure on Russia resuming direct contact with Moscow while exerting pressure on Kyiv by temporarily cutting off crucial military aid Trump has pledged to broker a swift ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine but these efforts have largely stalled as Moscow rejects a 30-day truce supported by Washington and Kyiv Trump has yet to exert additional pressure on Russia Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies The Sumy Regional Prosecutor's Office reported this on Facebook The enemy attack occurred at around 16:30 on Friday Preliminary findings indicate that the Russian forces dropped two guided aerial bombs on the community Law enforcement authorities have launched a pre-trial investigation under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war) More than 30 people were killed and another 117 were wounded by in a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday in one of the deadliest attacks on Ukraine this year Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack in a post on X and called for a tough international reaction against Russian President Vladimir Putin The Ukrainian leader accused Russia of ignoring the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire adding that Moscow is "convinced they can keep killing with impunity." Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, said the Russian attack on civilian targets "crosses any line of decency." "As a former military leader, I understand targeting and this is wrong. It is why President Trump is working hard to end this war," Kellogg said in a post on X European leaders rushed to Ukraine's defense. France's Emmanuel Macron said in an X post that "it is clear that only Russia is choosing to continue" the war "against human lives and the diplomatic overtures of President Trump." Poland's Donald Tusk said: "The Russian version of a ceasefire Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "appalled at Russia’s horrific attacks on civilians in Sumy." "President Zelenskyy has shown his commitment to peace. Putin must now agree to a full and immediate ceasefire without conditions," Starmer said in a social media post administration has been negotiating an end to Russia's war in Ukraine "It's been an interesting weekend and I think we have some pretty good news coming in some of the conflicts," Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One Trump earlier urged Putin to "get moving" because "too many people are dying." That was in a Friday social media post, the same day that the White House's Ukraine envoy met with Russian counterparts in St. Petersburg. Siddiq is a member of a Bangladeshi political dynasty being scrutinized for corruption. Suspension of import duties on a range of 89 products extends to mid-2027. Liberal Democrat Wera Hobhouse has been vocal about human rights issues in Tibet and Hong Kong. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Smoke rose over the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Monday after it was hit by a Russian drone strike. It happened a day after at least 35 people celebrating Palm Sunday were killed when Russian missiles struck the heart of the city. (AP Video: Alex Babenko) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for increased pressure on Russia following the Palm Sunday missile attack on Sumy. U.S. President Donald Trump said tariffs on semiconductors will be implemented “in the not distant future”. Smoke rises from an explosion following a Russian drone strike on Sumy, Ukraine, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Kateryna Sitak, 23, a teacher, cries while laying flowers and toys on a site of a Russian missile strike in Sumy, Ukraine, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Kateryna Sitak, 23, a teacher, cries after laying flowers and toys on a site of a Russian missile strike in Sumy, Ukraine, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Kyrylo Illiashenko, 13, sits on a hospital bed, Monday, April 14, 2025, after being injured on Sunday by a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, while trying to help others evacuate a burning bus that he later exited through a shattered window. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Monday, April 14, 2025, Russian servicemen attend a combat training for assault units in an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) Municipal workers clean a street in front of a University building destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Sumy, Ukraine, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) An excavator clears the rubble from a University building destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Sumy, Ukraine, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko visits the site of the Russian missile attack in Sumy, Ukraine, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Ukrainian officials have said two ballistic missiles on Palm Sunday morning hit the heart of Sumy, a city about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from Ukraine’s border with Russia, killing at least 34 people, 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. AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports further Russian attacks on Ukraine have target the port city Odesa. 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 United States 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. US President Donald Trump called the attack Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited Trump to come see the destruction being thrust upon his country for himself Russia's attacks continued on Monday with four killed in eastern Ukraine and a blaze injuring several when a missile struck a gas depot.  This blog on the latest developments from Russia's war in Ukraine on Monday, April 14 is now closed, thank you for following along. 2025Top Ukrainian presidential aide: 'High time for US to react' to Russian attacksIgor Zhovkva deputy head of the office of the president of Ukraine told DW that Russia's Palm Sunday attack on Sumy — which killed over 30 including children — was "the second horrible attack within the last 10 days"; referring to an April 4 ballistic missile attack on President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih that killed 20 people Zhovkva said such attacks are proving deadly "because Ukraine lacks sufficient air defenses."  Ballistic missiles can be only intercepted by air-defense systems like the US-Patriot missile Kyiv has tirelessly lobbied the international community to provide this key defensive weapon "cannot defend these civilian cities when the ballistic missiles are attacking" because "they don't have any air defense" capable of intercepting Russian rockets Zhovkva suggested Russia used a cluster bomb in its Sunday attack saying the missile used in Sumy exploded high over the heads of people which is what caused so many casualties.  Ukraine has accepted US-brokered proposals for a full ceasefire and Zhovkva said Russia's rejection of the plan and Moscow's continued deadly strikes are proof that "Russia wants to prolong the war." Zhovkva called for the US to take stronger action I think the US side has enough leverage of pressure in different domains," he added.  "We've heard several times from President Trump that he is irritated and he understands that sooner or later the reaction should be tougher."  Ukraine official: Air defenses 'badly needed' to save livesTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 2025EU leaders welcome possible German U-turn on Taurus deliveriesA Taurus missile system on display at a weapons expo in 2024Image: Joerg Carstensen/picture alliance European leaders on Monday welcomed Germany's proposed policy shift on the issue of delivering Taurus long-range missiles to Kyiv after chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz reiterated his support for such arms-systems assistance.  Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz refused to deliver Taurus systems despite Ukrainian pleas claiming he did not want to risk escalating the conflict.  Merz, on the other hand, 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. His statement coincided with a deadly Russian air attack that killed 34 people on Sunday. Russia has dropped nearly 3,000 bombs and 60 missiles on Ukraine in April and launched over 1,400 drone attacks, according to officials.  Speaking at an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said: "Of course every member state is giving what they can give. But I think the message is very clear, we need to do more so that Ukraine can defend itself and the civilians don't have to die." Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp noted the significance of the move by Germany, saying, "I think that would be a very important signal of where Europe stands." Asked about the effect of Taurus deliveries on the situation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they would, "inevitably lead only to further escalation." "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" he added, while denying that Russia was targeting civilians in its daily missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. 04/14/2025April 14, 2025Russian attack kills 4 near Kharkiv, officials sayRussian attacks Monday in eastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region killed four elderly people local officials said. The latest Russian attack comes a day after more than 30 people were killed on a strike in nearby Sumy.  Governor Oleg Synegubov said Russian forces had shelled the town of Kupiansk, a rail hub.  Elsewhere, Ukrainian officials said 11 people were wounded in an overnight drone barrage on the port city of Odessa.  04/14/2025April 14, 2025Trump calls Sumy attack, 'a horrible thing'US President Donald Trump who boasts of  his close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has long claimed he could easily end the war in Ukraine which killed 34 people at a church celebration "I was told they made a big mistake," he said "Only scoundrels can act like this, taking the lives of ordinary people," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, noting the attack took place on Palm Sunday as Christians attended church to mark the beginning of Holy Week Zelenskyy invited Trump to come to Ukraine to see the destruction that Russia's invasion has brought with his own eyes Trump has spent the last several weeks trying to get Putin to sit down and negotiate a ceasefire, to no avail.  Zelenskyy has bent to Trump's will so far, for example, by continuing negotiations on US access to Ukrainian minerals.  However, has not shied from publicly calling out what he says is Putin's cynical approach of continuing attacks while demanding ever more concessions. On Monday, Trump again blamed Zelenskyy for "letting the war start" rather than placing blame on Putin, who launched the unprovoked, full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. Zelenskyy on Monday called for a global response to the attack.  "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. gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday in the northern city of Sumy.  Condemnation of the attack — which Russia claims did not target civilians — has been unanimous across the West Germany's presumptive next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, was indignant, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing "a deliberate and calculated war crime." Merz pointed out that the strike came in two waves to maximize damage with the second wave striking after emergency workers arrived to care for victims.  Russian strike on SumyTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "That is the response… that is what Putin does to those who talk of a ceasefire," said Merz who called those in Germany calling for peace talks "naive." At the same time he reiterated his support for the idea of supplying Kyiv with lang-range Taurus missiles as long as it was coordinated with European allies — noting that the UK France and the US were already supplying similar weapons.  Poland and Italy among those forcefully denouncing it as "Russia's version of a ceasefire," and a "cowardly," "criminal" act Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack showed yet again that Putin is stalling on a US-led ceasefire proposal  "This Friday marked exactly one month since Russia spurned the US proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire That’s why they keep launching ballistic missiles Only pressure — only decisive action — can change this." Poland: Russia's Sumy attack a 'mocking answer' to ceasefireTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Alla Shyrshonkova was on a bus when Russian missiles hit the city Now a toy bear and hippo mark the spot where 35 people People were lying at my feet’: Ukrainian survivors describe Russia’s attack on SumyAlla Shyrshonkova was on a bus when Russian missiles hit the city As she reached the city centre she heard a loud bang Two minutes later – as the bus made its way down Petropavlivska street – there was a second massive explosion I covered my head with my hands and ducked.” Blood was gushing “like a fountain” from her arm A conductor called the name of the driver – “Kolya” – but there was no reply a teenage boy opened a door and she staggered out The Iskander ballistic missiles carried deadly cluster of munitions which released a wave of shrapnel Two of the victims buried last week were children Sumy residents left toys at the spot where they perished: a bear Shyrshonkova was one of 129 people wounded The first missile crashed into a university congress centre plunging through a glass atrium and a basement theatre The second turned the city into a vision of hell with bodies on the ground and a little girl crying and covered in blood The war seems further away than ever from a peaceful resolution. On Friday, Donald Trump signalled he is ready to “take a pass” on brokering an agreement unless the two sides reach a deal “very shortly” More than a month ago, Ukraine accepted a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. Russia didn’t. Since then, it has demonstratively escalated its bombing campaign on civilians and infrastructure, hitting Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipro. As many predicted, Trump’s negotiating strategy has been to favour Russia He has effectively ended military assistance to Kyiv while falsely blaming Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Joe Biden for “starting” the war No similar pressure has been applied to Moscow. Trump downplayed last weekend’s Sumy strike, calling it a “mistake”. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff – who met European leaders on Thursday – parrots Kremlin disinformation survivors expressed anger at the US president accusing him of laziness and a bewildering partisanship obviously – nothing else,” Shyrshonkova said “I wish he would come to Ukraine and see what his beloved puylo [a slang term for Putin I want Trump to help us at the same level as Joe Biden.” said the Russians were carrying out genocide “They are trying to destroy all Ukrainians “They promote the concept of Russkiy Mir or ‘Russian World’ when he was studying in Moscow in the 1980s having gone into town to fetch eyedrops for his wife After the first strike the bus stopped outside Sumy state university’s institute of applied physics Shrapnel from the second missile hit his lung and head “I lost strength and collapsed right inside the bus,” he recalled Hennadii Smoliarov says Russia is ‘trying to destroy all Ukrainians’ Photograph: Anastasia Vlasova/The ObserverA volunteer grabbed Smoliarov by the collar of his brown leather jacket and dragged him on to the pavement The explosion blew the wooden doors and glass from the 19th-century institute sending shards into its garden and flowerbeds A quartz wall clock on the ground floor stopped at the moment of impact: 10.20am and 40 seconds a giant hole was gouged in the white-painted economics and business faculty building Another wounded survivor, Viktor Voitenko, said Sumy was in its fourth year of war. “We’ve had so many attacks, with Shahed drones and missiles,” he said Voitenko works at the physics institute as a security guard. He was in the foyer when the second Iskander dropped. A metal fragment hit him in the spine. “I couldn’t feel my legs. I called my wife and she reached me in five minutes. After that, the police took me to a safe place,” he said. Lying in a hospital bed, Voitenko said it was unclear if he would walk again: “It’s in God’s hands. My operation went well. The doctors say they can’t guarantee anything.” Aged 56, Voitenko previously worked as a builder and as a “liquidator” – a member of the clean-up crew sent to the Chornobyl nuclear power station after the 1986 disaster. The Kremlin, he said, was addicted to reckless imperialism. “Before the war, we lived well. We had everything. I have a beautiful wife, an 11-year-old daughter and two cars.” The bus driver, Mykola Leon – killed on Palm Sunday, together with most of his passengers – was a distant relative, he said. Read moreShyrshonkova spoke to the Observer from the neighbouring hospital room She put her survival down to a class she attended in the 1950s as a schoolgirl in the Soviet Union They also explained what to do in the event of a nuclear attack We were taught to keep our mouth closed and to cover our head and eyes “When I heard the explosion on Sunday it came back to me Shyrshonkova said she hoped to visit her dacha “I’ve planted tomatoes and peppers on the balcony Luke Harding’s Invasion: Russia’s Bloody War and Ukraine’s Fight for Survival This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media BRUSSELS (AP) — 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 It was the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in Ukraine in just over a week READ MORE: Russian strikes kill more than 30 in Ukrainian city of Sumy during Palm Sunday celebrations 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 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 see that the leader of Russia is mocking their goodwill and I hope the right decisions are taken,” Sikorski told reporters in Luxembourg Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen noted that the attack on Sumy came shortly after President Donald Trump’s envoy 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 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 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 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 Trump said late Sunday he was trying to get the war stopped “I think it was terrible and I was told they made a mistake I think the whole war is a horrible thing,” he told reporters 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 adding that 40 were destroyed and 11 others jammed Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins World leaders condemned a Russian missile strike on Ukraine on Sunday President Donald Trump called it a "horrible thing" and a "mistake." Two ballistic missiles hit the center of the northeastern city of Sumy killing at least 34 people and wounding more than 100 others presidential envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin and push Trump's efforts to end the more than three-year war I think the whole war is a horrible thing," U.S President Trump told reporters on board Air Force One while headed back to Washington on Sunday evening Asked to clarify what he meant by a "mistake," Trump said that "they made a mistake.. you're gonna ask them" — without specifying who or what he was referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the attack "horrifying" and a "tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are putting so much time and effort into trying to end this war and achieve durable peace." Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday urged Trump to visit his country to better understand the devastation wrought by Russia's invasion children destroyed or dead," he said according to a transcript of an interview broadcast on CBS Zelensky stressed that the attack occurred on Palm Sunday "Only completely deranged scum can do something like this," he said in his Sunday evening address Emergency services said the missiles killed 34 people People ran for cover amid burning cars and the dead were seen covered in silver sheets at the scene where rescuers worked through the rubble of a building near a destroyed trolleybus Zelensky said eight injured people were in serious condition The Russian attack damaged 20 buildings in total UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "deeply alarmed and shocked" by the strike which highlighted a "devastating pattern of similar assaults on Ukrainian cities and towns in recent weeks," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said The head of Ukraine's HUR military intelligence said on Telegram that Russia had used two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles on Sumy One witness told AFP she heard two explosions It was the second Russian attack this month to cause a large civilian death toll. An attack on Zelensky's hometown of Kryvi Rih killed at least 18 people Trump is pushing for a quick end to the war with the United States holding direct talks with Russia despite its unrelenting attacks on Ukraine Washington has also held talks with Ukrainian officials on a potential truce while European nations are discussing a military deployment to reinforce any Ukraine ceasefire Kyiv has previously agreed to a U.S.-proposed unconditional ceasefire but Moscow has turned it down Zelensky called on the United States and Europe to give a "strong response" to Russia adding: "Talking has never stopped ballistic missiles and bombs." Trump has previously voiced anger at Russia for "bombing like crazy" in Ukraine France's President Emmanuel Macron said the strike on Sumy showed Russia's "blatant disregard for human lives international law and the diplomatic efforts of President Trump." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "appalled" by the attack which Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni described as a "cowardly" act by Russia Germany's chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz described it as "a serious war crime Russia has relentlessly attacked Ukraine in recent weeks Sumy has been under increasing pressure since Moscow pushed back many of Ukraine's troops from its Kursk region inside Russia Kyiv has warned for weeks that Moscow could mount an offensive on the city Russia launched its invasion partially through the Sumy region and briefly occupied parts of it before being pushed back by Ukrainian forces Russia said it captured another village in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region The Sumy Regional Prosecutor's Office reported this on Facebook The attack occurred around 16:40 on Wednesday with preliminary investigations indicating the use of artillery by the invaders Law enforcers have initiated a pre-trial investigation under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - violations of the laws and customs of war Russian shelling of Novoosynove in the Kharkiv region killed one civilian Photo credit: Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office and mailings and dive into the most pressing foreign policy issues with insights from our experts I consent to receiving the selected ECFR newsletters and to the analysis of open & click rates. I can revoke my consent later by clicking on the link at the end of every newsletter or by writing to [email protected]. More information on how we process personal data can be found here The Africa programme analyses the geopolitics of the Africa-Europe relationship the programme delves into relations between the African Union and the European Union to find creative foreign policy tools and strategies It also focuses on two regions that are particularly relevant for Europe: the Horn of Africa and the Sahel The Asia programme seeks to help Europe recalibrate its relationship with China and its Asian partners The programme analyses China’s domestic situation It also places a renewed emphasis on fostering Europe’s relationships with the Indo-Pacific The European Power programme is focused on helping Europeans develop sustainable policy solutions to the issues affecting the European Union’s capacity to act with unity on the global scene This includes analysing the path forward for enlargement The Middle East and North Africa programme seeks to support a coherent European agenda in pursuit of regional interests The programme works with European and regional governments and civil society to advance channels of dialogue as well as providing direct policy prescriptions to secure conflict de-escalation The US programme helps Europeans create policy responses to developments in US domestic politics and foreign policy The programme seeks to strengthen transatlantic relations by exploring the obstacles to a more balanced partnership and developing ideas to overcome them The Wider Europe programme aims to help the European Union defend its interests and values in the Western Balkans as well as the South Caucasus and central Asia The programme also supports EU decision-makers work on a unified and coherent policy to address the challenges resulting from Russia’s full scale-invasion of Ukraine Russia has openly refused to halt its attacks Europe—and particularly those countries on NATO’s eastern flank—face heightened danger the more likely the US will view a ceasefire imposed on Russia’s terms as acceptable rearm and eventually pose a renewed threat which goes beyond Ukraine and directly to NATO Europeans must now take three decisive steps: The strikes provided no military advantage for Russia which instead aims to demoralise Ukrainian society and pressure Trump into forcing Ukraine into unconditional capitulation It is also a tool to destabilise Ukraine from within: the more Ukrainians that Russia kills which shakes national unity and Ukrainian resolve These foundations have kept Ukraine standing over three years of war despite early predictions that the country would fall within days Be the first to know about our latest publications I consent to receiving the selected ECFR newsletters and to the analysis of open & click rates. I can revoke my consent later by clicking on the link at the end of every newsletter or by writing to [email protected]. More information on how we process personal data can be found here Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website Content from video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default displaying this content no longer requires manual consent Talks between US and Russia continue unabated as attacks on Ukraine’s cities appear to have stepped up Even by the warped standards of wartime, Russia’s Sunday morning attack on Sumy was astonishingly brazen slammed into the heart of the border city in mid-morning as families went to church waited for a theatre performance or were simply strolling about on a mild spring day Images from the scene show bodies or body bags on the ground cruel and vicious and its consequences entirely predictable to those who gave the order and pressed “launch” To contemplate a daytime city-centre attack, in the full knowledge that civilians will be present, reflects a Russian culture of impunity that has been allowed to endure without effective challenge. Nevertheless, Washington’s approach, under Donald Trump has been to try to negotiate an end to the war by talking directly with Moscow while remaining mostly silent on Russian attacks on civilians Talks between the US and Russia have continued unabated over the past two months at a time when Russian attacks on Ukraine’s cities appear to have stepped up. Nine adults and nine children were killed when a Russian ballistic missile using cluster bombs struck a children’s playground in Kryvyi Rih at the end of last week. Read morePeople were burned alive in their cars and the bodies of children were found dead in the playground, yet the attack was weakly condemned by the US ambassador to Ukraine would not say the deadly missile was from Russia as she tweeted: “This is why the war must end.” including the cities of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia The dissonance between the killing and destruction in Sumy on Sunday and the photographed handshake between Witkoff and Putin is all too evident to most observers It is not clear why it should even be contemplated that Ukraine hand over territory (something that even the US cannot easily force on Kyiv) when Russia is willing to countenance daytime attacks on civilians Free newsletterA digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day The Kremlin will ignore condemnation from European leaders and wait for the news cycle to move on – and will almost certainly continue to attack Ukrainian cities to little military purpose but there are now concerns they are routinely being armed with cluster munitions while almost every day one or two hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles are thrown into the deadly mix In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes that gradually Trump will realise Putin is not negotiating in good faith the attack on the centre of Sumy hardly suggests a strong appetite for peace the White House is prepared to conclude that killing of civilians means that it needs to put genuine pressure on Russia to negotiate rather than indulge the Kremlin That’s according to Suspilne.Sumy, Ukrinform reports "Russian attack drones targeted a feed production facility in Stetskivka According to chief engineer Mykola Shevchenko approximately 70% of the buildings and equipment were damaged The blast wave also shattered windows and damaged roofs of nearby private houses,” the report said Acting Sumy Mayor Stanislav Poliakov confirmed that up to 15 private houses sustained damage in the attack Russian forces struck an industrial facility in one of the districts of the Sumy community during the night of May 1 Preliminary reports confirmed that there were no casualties by Martin FornusekThe body of a man killed in a Russian ballistic missile strike lies next to a wrecked bus in the northeastern city of Sumy on April 13 (Oleksandr Oleksienko/Kordon.Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)Sumy Oblast Governor Volodymyr Artiukh said he was invited to a military awards ceremony in Sumy planned for the same day when Russia launched a deadly attack but denied initiating the event in comments for the Suspilne outlet published on April 14 Russia launched a devastating missile attack against the Sumy city center on Palm Sunday on April 13, killing 35 people and injuring around 120 It marked one of the worst attacks against the northeastern city throughout the full-scale war Artem Semenikhin the mayor of the Sumy Oblast city of Konotop accused Artiukh of planning an awards ceremony for the 117th Brigade in the regional center on the same day thus posing undue risk to civilians and military personnel "It wasn't my initiative. I was invited," Artiukh told Suspilne without commenting on who was behind the planned event The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims and the Ukrainian military and security services have not commented on the accusations Russia's Defense Ministry claimed the missile struck the command center of the Siversk operational-tactical group in the city, without providing evidence. Moscow has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims about targeting military targets while striking civilian areas Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said that Russia deployed cluster munitions during the attack against Sumy's heavily populated areas These weapons are designed to maximize casualties by dispersing hundreds of smaller "bomblets" in a wide area upon impact and have been used on multiple occasions by Russia against Ukrainian cities and towns European leaders have denounced the attack as a war crime and an evidence of Russia's rejection of peace efforts The strike took place as Moscow continues to reject a 30-day truce Russian forces launched an offensive into northeastern Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions several days ago, Ukraine’s commander in chief General Oleksandr Syrsky said in an interview published Wednesday Syrsky’s comments come nearly a month after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Russia was readying a new attack on the Sumy region “I can say that the president is absolutely right and this [Russian] offensive [in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions] has actually already begun,” Syrsky told the Ukrainian news website Left Bank we’ve been seeing almost a doubling of the number of enemy offensive actions in all major areas,” he added Syrsky claimed Russia was seeking to create a buffer zone in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions as well as in northern Ukraine’s Chernihiv region President Vladimir Putin proposed establishing a so-called “buffer zone” in the Sumy region to safeguard the Kursk region from future attacks during his visit there last month. The proposal was followed by reports of a potential Russian offensive, with minor Russian incursions into the Sumy region Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into the Kursk region in August but a Russian counteroffensive in recent months has gradually chipped away at its hold over swaths of territory The latest offensive is not the first time Russia has set its sights on Ukraine’s Sumy region Russian troops pushed into the region during the early weeks of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 However, despite initial successes, Russian forces failed to establish control due to Ukrainian resistance, and the Kremlin was forced to withdraw by early April 2022 as part of its broader retreat from northern Ukraine We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. 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Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world Photographer: Oleg Voronenko/AFP/Getty Images 2025 at 9:59 AM EDTBookmarkSaveTakeaways NEWUkraine said more than two dozen people were killed and scores injured after Russian missiles struck the city of Sumy days after US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war Two ballistic missiles hit the center of the city the city’s regional administration said on its Telegram channel We’ve detected that JavaScript is disabled in this browser Please enable JavaScript or switch to a supported browser to continue using x.com You can see a list of supported browsers in our Help Center Help Center