Ukraine-Russia war latest: More than 20 people killed in Russian ballistic missile strike in Sumy

“On this bright palm on Sunday, our community had a terrible tragedy,” Sumy Artem Kobzar acting mayor said in a statement on Telegram.

“Unfortunately, we already know about more than 20 deaths.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia hit the center of Sumy “on the day when people go to church – Palm Sunday, the feast of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem.

“The United States, Europe, all in the world who want and kill an end to this war. Russia wants exactly this kind of terror and pulls out this war. Without pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible,” says Zelensky.

He adds that “talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and air bombs”.

The president says the missile has an ordinary city street, ordinary life: houses, educational institutions, cars on the street “and that a rescue operation is now underway.

The president is asking for “a difficult response from the world”.

More than 20 people were killed in a Russian rocket strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, the acting mayor of the city said.

Two ballistic missiles hit the heart of the city when the locals gathered to celebrate Palm on Sunday.

“On this bright palm on Sunday, our community had a terrible tragedy,” Artem Kobzar said in a statement on social media. “Unfortunately, we already know about more than 20 deaths.”

The strike comes less than a day after the top diplomats of Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a provisional US Broker agreement to interrupt energy infrastructure strikes, which underlines the challenges of negotiating an end to the three-year war.

The acting mayor of the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy said on Sunday that there was “a lot of death” after a Russian rocket strike.

He did not immediately provide further details.

A Ukrainian F-16 Viper Jet died during a combat mission, wrote the Ukraine Air Force on Telegram.

The 26-year-old Pavlo Ivanov is only the second confirmed F-16 loss facing Ukraine.

According to a translation, he was defended in the battle “his native land of the occupiers on Saturday,” according to a translation.

“All the circumstances of the tragedy are established by an interdepartmental commission,” added the Ukraine Air Force.

President Voldymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram: “My condolences to the family and all the brothers ‘brothers’ arms.

“Ukrainian F-16s, Mirages, Migs, all our Combat Aviation performs heroic military missions, defends our state and supports land operations.

“The Air Force is also involved in the protection of Ukraine from Russian missiles and drones.

“We are proud of our warriors. We will respond strongly and correctly. Glory on Ukraine! ‘

The powers of Vladimir Putin have resumed a more typical strike pattern since the end of March after a short rise in the size of the Russian long -distance strike “packages” that started in mid -February, analysts said.

While on April 7, Russian forces did not make strikes against Ukraine on April 7-the day after carrying out their biggest strike in more than a month-they have resumed since, while Russian officials have so far either refused to reject the temporary expropriation of energy facilities, the Institute for the War Study.

According to the thinking tank, “Russian forces are likely to postpone negotiations on a general ceasefire to continue with the profits along the front line in Ukraine and to continue with the devastating strikes against the Ukrainian defense industry and civilian areas in order to intimidate the civilians and the Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against the future Russian aggression”.

‘Russians are trying to prohibit all of us here: language, and also traditions. Even the Ukrainian holidays are prohibited, ‘said one woman who uses the pseudonym use of Mary, who is a member of a female underground resistance group that has a campaign of tranquil resistance to Russia’s occupation, mainly by spreading pamphlets and newsletters.

The BBC reported that Ukrainians in occupied areas are denied healthcare and free movement unless they take up Russian citizenship, while Mary said Russian officials have installed supervision systems. She said, “They put on a lot of CCTV cameras to control everyone to find all the activists.”

Mary added: “In the city centers, everything is covered with Russian propaganda: billboards with Putin’s face, Putin’s quotes, people who call their heroes of the special military operation. There are flags everywhere.”

Germany’s incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that Ukraine could not join NATO or the European Union, while still warning in Russia.

“Ukraine is a very large European country, but it is a European country that is waging war,” Merz said Trade blatt. “A country that wears war cannot become a member of the NATO or the European Union. ‘

“The promise to join the European Union remains valid, just like the perspective of joining NATO,” Merz said. “But for both to happen, the war must end first.”