Sumy, Ukraine — A devastating Russian missile strike targeted the city center of Sumy on Sunday, killing at least 32 people—including two children—and injuring 99 others during a time when residents were gathered for church services. It marks the deadliest single attack on Ukrainian civilians in 2025 and one of the worst since the beginning of the war.

According to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, two ballistic missiles struck the area in quick succession. The second explosion, which occurred just 200 meters from the first, landed near residential buildings, schools, and shops, further amplifying the destruction. Authorities believe the second missile was loaded with cluster munitions designed to inflict maximum casualties.

Volodymyr Artyukh, head of the Sumy regional military administration, described the attack as a deliberate attempt to cause mass civilian casualties. “The enemy was hoping to inflict the greatest damage on people in the city of Sumy,” he said.

Among the victims were Olena Kohut, an artist with the Sumy National Theatre’s orchestra, and Liudmyla Hordiienko, a deputy head in the state tax service. Many victims were on a local trolleybus, which was almost entirely destroyed in the blast.

Graphic footage from the scene shows collapsed buildings, shattered windows, and emergency workers recovering bodies. Videos shared by Ukrainian officials depict chaos, with sirens blaring, people running in panic, and others lying injured or dead on the streets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack a “deliberate targeting of civilians” and renewed calls for stronger international pressure on Russia. “Russia wants exactly this kind of terror. Without pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible,” he said. He also criticized Moscow for rejecting a U.S.-proposed ceasefire that Ukraine had already agreed to.

The use of cluster munitions, which scatter smaller explosive devices over a wide area, is especially controversial due to the heightened risk to civilians. “A missile with cluster munitions is something Russians do to kill as many civilians as possible,” said Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office.

International leaders swiftly condemned the strike. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called it a “horrific example” of Russia intensifying attacks amid Ukraine’s acceptance of a ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron called for “strong measures” to enforce peace.

Retired General Keith Kellogg, special envoy to Ukraine and Russia for the Trump administration, called the strike “beyond the line of decency,” adding, “As a former military leader, I understand targeting, and this is wrong.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump commented on ongoing negotiations, saying, “I think Ukraine-Russia might be going OK... You have to either put up or shut up. We’ll see what happens.”

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Matthias Schmale condemned the strike, reminding the world that “international humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

This latest attack follows a sharp increase in Russian missile activity in Ukraine’s northeastern regions, particularly Sumy, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson. In the past 24 hours alone, additional strikes across those regions have claimed eight more lives and left 18 injured.

As peace talks stall and military offensives escalate, Ukrainian leaders are urging the global community to respond with decisive action to deter further atrocities.