Missile attack on Sumy: At least 34 dead. President Trump calls it “horrible” – but criticizes Zelenskyi again. EU condemns targeted attack.

On Sunday, the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy was the target of one of the most severe air raids in months. As reported by the Tagesschau, two ballistic missiles hit the city center at a time when many people were on their way to church. The attack claimed at least 34 lives, including children, and injured over 100 people.

According to tagesschau.de, the Ukrainian authorities are speaking of a targeted attack on civilians. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the bombing as an “act of terror” and called for a stronger response from the international community. “As long as the world hesitates, our people will die,” he said in a video message on Sunday evening.

Trump speaks of “horrible attack” – and criticizes Zelensky

US President Donald Trump, who has been back in office since January 2025, also commented on the attack on Monday to Fox News: “What happened in Sumy is terrible. Nobody deserves something like that.” At the same time, he took the opportunity to sharply criticize the Ukrainian president and parts of NATO. As reported by Politico, Trump accused Zelensky of unnecessarily prolonging the war and said that under his (Trump’s) leadership, the conflict “would never have happened”.

Zelensky countered via X (formerly Twitter) and publicly invited Trump to visit Ukraine in person. “If you want to see the truth, you have to have the courage to look,” he wrote, according to Politico.

International reactions

The European Union, as well as representatives of the UN and the OSCE, also strongly condemned the attack on Sumy. As reported by tagesschau.de, several states called on Russia to finally stop attacking civilian infrastructure. Berlin, Paris and Brussels also issued clear words of solidarity with Ukraine.

A new low in the war

The rocket attack on Sumy is one in a series of heavy attacks on Ukrainian cities since the beginning of the year. The symbolic date is particularly distressing: Palm Sunday is one of the most important holidays in the Orthodox Church. For many people in Sumy, it has become a day of mourning.