At least 34 killed, 117 injured in Russian missile attack on Ukrainian city Sumy

Russian missiles struck locals gathered for Sunday church services in Sumy, northern Ukraine, killing at least 34 people in the conflict's bloodiest incident of the year.

Kyiv says Moscow fired two ballistic missiles at the northeastern city near the Russian border on Sunday morning, injuring roughly 120 people.

Zelensky stated that the deadly strikes on Sumy were carried out by ballistic missiles and called for a "strong response from the world" to the attack, which occurred during US-led attempts to mediate an end to the three-year conflict.

“Russia wants exactly this kind of terror and is dragging out this war,” he said. “Without pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible. Talking has never stopped ballistic missiles or bombs. We need to treat Russia as a terrorist deserves.”

The incident occurred two days after US envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin and promote Trump's attempts to end the war.

The local emergency agency said in its most recent bulletin that 34 people perished, including two children, and 117 were injured, including 15 children. 

The two ballistic missiles struck at 10:15 a.m., according to authorities. Images from the site showed lines of black body bags on the side of the road, with other dead wrapped in foil blankets among the rubble. Firefighters were also seen battling to extinguish the remains of burned-out autos among the wreckage from destroyed structures.

The strikes have been condemned internationally, with the Trump administration's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, saying the action "crosses any line of decency."

“As a former military leader, I understand targeting and this is wrong.  It is why President (Donald) Trump is working hard to end this war,” Kellogg said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated such sentiments, expressing sympathy to the victims of the "horrifying Russian missile attack."

“This is 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,” he wrote on X.

According to Ukrainian officials, early intelligence suggests that cluster bombs were employed in the strike. They contain several bombs that are released across a large area, up to the size of several football fields, and are especially harmful to people when shot in densely populated regions.

 “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, calling the strike a “deliberate targeting of civilians.”