World leaders condemned a Russian missile strike on Ukraine on Sunday (April 13, 2025) (April 13, 2025), one of many deadliest assaults in months, whereas U.S. President Donald Trump known as it a “horrible thing” and a “mistake”.
Two ballistic missiles hit the centre of the northeastern metropolis of Sumy, near the Russian border, on Sunday (April 13, 2025) morning, killing at the least 34 individuals and wounding greater than 100 others, Ukrainian authorities stated.
The strike got here two days after U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Russia to fulfill President Vladimir Putin and push Mr. Trump’s efforts to finish the greater than three-year warfare.
“I think it was terrible. And I was told they made a mistake. But I think it’s a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing,” U.S. President Mr. Trump advised reporters on board Air Force One whereas headed again to Washington on Sunday (April 13, 2025) night.
Asked to make clear what he meant by a “mistake”, Mr. Trump stated that “they made a mistake… you’re gonna ask them” – with out specifying who or what he was referring to.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio known as the assault “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 Mr. Zelenskyy on Sunday (April 13, 2025) urged Mr. Trump to go to his nation to higher perceive the devastation wrought by Russia’s invasion.
“Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” he stated in keeping with a transcript of an interview broadcast on CBS.
Mr. Zelenskyy burdened that the assault occurred on Palm Sunday (April 13, 2025), a serious Christian feast.
“Only completely deranged scum can do something like this,” he stated in his Sunday (April 13, 2025) night deal with.
Emergency providers stated the missiles killed 34 individuals, together with two kids, and wounded 117, together with 15 kids.
People ran for canopy amid burning automobiles and the lifeless have been seen lined in silver sheets on the scene the place rescuers labored via the rubble of a constructing close to a destroyed trolleybus.
Mr. Zelenskyy stated eight injured individuals have been in severe situation.
“The Russian attack damaged 20 buildings in total, including a university, five apartment buildings, cafes, shops and the district court,” he added.
U.N. 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 stated.
‘A lot of corpses’
The head of Ukraine’s GUR navy intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, stated on Telegram that Russia had used two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles on Sumy.
One witness advised AFP she heard two explosions.
“A lot of people were very badly injured. A lot of corpses,” she stated, struggling to talk.
It was the second Russian assault this month to trigger a big civilian demise toll. An assault on Mr. Zelenskyy’s dwelling metropolis of Kryvi Rig killed at the least 18 individuals, together with 9 kids.
Mr. Trump is pushing for a fast finish to the warfare, with the United States holding direct talks with Russia regardless of its unrelenting assaults on Ukraine.
Washington has additionally held talks with Ukrainian officers on a possible truce, whereas European nations are discussing a navy deployment to strengthen any Ukraine ceasefire.
Kyiv has beforehand agreed to a U.S.-proposed unconditional ceasefire, however Moscow has turned it down.
Mr. Zelenskyy known as on the United States and Europe to offer a “strong response” to Russia, including: “Talking has never stopped ballistic missiles and bombs.”
Mr. Trump has beforehand voiced anger in Russia for “bombing like crazy” in Ukraine.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron stated the strike on Sumy confirmed Russia’s “blatant disregard for human lives, international law and the diplomatic efforts of President Trump”.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated he was “appalled” by the assault, 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, deliberate and intended”.
Russia has relentlessly attacked Ukraine in latest weeks.
Sumy has been underneath growing stress since Moscow pushed again a lot of Ukraine’s troops from its Kursk area inside Russia, throughout the border.
Kyiv has warned for weeks that Moscow may mount an offensive on the town.
Russia launched its invasion partially via the Sumy area and briefly occupied components of it earlier than being pushed again by Ukrainian forces.
On Sunday (April 13, 2025), Russia stated it captured one other village in japanese Ukraine’s Donetsk area.
Published – April 14, 2025 12:23 pm IST
