Russian missiles struck the heart of the Ukrainian city of Sumy as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, killing at least 34 people, officials said, in the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in just over a week.

The two ballistic missiles hit around 10:15 a.m., officials said. 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.

The dead included two children, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said in a statement. A further 117 people were wounded, including 15 children, it said.

“Only filthy scum can act like this — taking the lives of ordinary people,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. In a statement on social media, 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, Andriy Yermak, said cluster munitions were used to kill as many people as possible. The Associated Press was unable to verify that claim.

The attack on Sumy followed a deadly April 4 missile strike on Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih that killed some 20 people, including nine children.

  • IWantToMakeProgress [any]@hexbear.net
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    5 days ago

    There was a military awards ceremony.

    https://t.me/intelslava/74420

    The mayor of Konotop in the Sumy region demanded that the head of the Sumy regional administration kneel and apologize by 18:00, resign, and also dismiss the head of the local SBU .

    Otherwise, the mayor of Konotop promised to tell the truth about what happened during the missile strike on Sumy.

    https://t.me/intelslava/74421

    The attack in Sumy was carried out at the awards ceremony of the 117th brigade of the Troops of Ukraine, timed to coincide with the anniversary of its formation on April 13 - Mosiychuk.

    According to the former Ukrainian MP, in addition to the military, civilians with children were also present at the award ceremony. Apparently, this is what causes the many civilian casualties.

    “I hope that the head of the OVA Artyukh and MP Ananchenko, who so wanted to get some PR at the festive awarding of the soldiers of the 117th brigade of the TRO on the occasion of the 7th anniversary, are already being detained in Sumy. Artyukh and Ananchenko were promoting the awarding in Sumy and gathered there not only the military but also civilians, in particular children ! Scum and scum!” Mosiychuk wrote.