Overview

• Two Russian ballistic missiles struck the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Palm Sunday, killing 34 people, including two children, and injuring 119, marking the deadliest attack on civilians in Ukraine this year.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Ukraine and witness the destruction firsthand before making decisions on peace negotiations with Russia.
• International leaders, including Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, condemned the attack as a deliberate war crime and called for immediate measures to enforce a ceasefire on Russia.
• Trump described the strike as 'terrible' but claimed he was told it was a 'mistake,' a stance that has drawn criticism for downplaying Russia's deliberate targeting of civilians.
• The Sumy attack is part of a broader pattern of Russian aggression, undermining ceasefire efforts and highlighting the ongoing challenges in diplomatic negotiations to end the war.