A Russian ballistic missile strike killed at least 21 people and injured more than 83 others, including seven children, in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Palm Sunday, according to local and emergency officials.

The strike, which targeted a residential area and hit homes, vehicles, and public buildings, occurred late Sunday morning. Ukraine’s Air Force had issued a ballistic missile threat alert for Sumy Oblast at 10:17 a.m., and by 10:52 a.m., Sumy Mayor Artem Kobzar confirmed the city had suffered a deadly attack, describing the scene as one with "many dead."

Images and videos circulating on social media show a street strewn with bodies, destroyed vehicles—including a bus and a car in flames—and the aftermath of what officials have described as a deliberate strike on civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack in a statement on his Telegram channel, saying: “Enemy missiles hit an ordinary city street, ordinary life: houses, educational institutions, cars on the street… And this is on a day when people go to church: Palm Sunday.”

He called for stronger international pressure on Moscow, adding: “Without pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible. Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and air bombs. We need the kind of attitude towards Russia that a terrorist deserves.”

The strike on Palm Sunday, a sacred Christian observance, has sparked outrage among Ukrainians and international observers alike, as it marks yet another escalation in Russia’s ongoing military campaign. (ILKHA)