Two suspected Russian ballistic missiles struck the center of the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday. The Sumy region has been a frontline area since the Ukrainian invasion in the Kursk region. The attack was devastating, with 34 people confirmed dead and over 100 injured, including two children. Most of the civilian casualties were in a trolleybus. Videos circulating on the internet showed bodies lying on the ground, several buildings severely damaged and the cries of the mourning relatives of the victims. It appeared that the people were out with their families in the city on that day. The scenes were heartbreaking.
The European Union countries quickly reacted with harsh criticism. Dozens of politicians and officials commented on the incident, almost unanimously calling it abhorrent and brutal. Some Eastern Europeans referred to the Russians as “barbarians” and “murderers.”
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also commented on the tragic incident. “This shows once again that Putin is emphasizing destruction with blood, not peace” Baerbock wrote. “This war must end and Russia must finally agree to a comprehensive ceasefire” Scholz demanded. Von der Leyen stated that urgent measures were needed as a response to the “barbaric attack.”
However, a look at Ukrainian internet posts quickly shows that such harsh and one-sided blame is at least premature. The target of the missile attack was clearly the Congress Center of the Sumy State University. This building was the most severely damaged. The published photos show that the missile hit the building directly. Previously, there had been indications that the Congress Center was being used by the Ukrainian military as a gathering place.
Several military vehicles were parked nearby on the day of the attack. “Since the start of the fighting in neighboring Kursk region, Sumy has been filled with Ukrainian military” reported the Russian-Ukrainian military blogger Yuri Podolyaka, who is originally from Sumy. The photos from the scene on Sunday show that people in uniform were among the injured and dead.
Therefore, the explosions in Sumy could have been caused by negligence on the part of the Ukrainian military leadership and the city authorities. Several prominent Ukrainian politicians pointed this out. According to Rada deputy Mariana Besuglaja, a military award ceremony for Ukrainian military personnel provoked the attack.
Any gathering of the military, regardless of whether it takes place at a civilian location or not, is considered a legitimate target for the opposing army. The Israeli army, for example, always claims to only fight Hamas terrorists and attributes the high number of civilian casualties to Hamas using civilians as human shields.
In the Gaza Strip, over 50,000 people were killed in the bombing; 60% of them were women, children and elderly people. However, the German government makes no criticism of Israel, as if such “collateral damage” is completely normal. Instead, it aligns itself with the official Israeli statements, which blame Hamas for the casualties due to its contemptible way of fighting a war on the backs of civilians.
Besuglaja attributed the high number of both civilian and military casualties to chronic errors by the military leadership. “I appeal to (the commander) Syrsky and separately to the commander of the Territorial Defense: Do not gather the military for displays, especially not at civilian locations” Besuglaja wrote on Telegram. The information about the planned military gathering may have been leaked and known to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Igor Mossychuk, a nationalist former deputy, criticized the incident more bluntly. According to him, on Sunday morning, the seventh anniversary of the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade was to be celebrated. He posted a photo of the public announcement as evidence. He called for the local authorities to be arrested and pointed out that civilians and children were also invited to the ceremonial gathering.
The mayor of the neighboring town of Konotop, Artjom Semenychin, made an even more direct statement. In a video speech made during a car ride, he issued an ultimatum to the Sumy regional mayor, Vladimir Artiuk, demanding an apology to the people by 6 PM. He harshly criticized Artiuk and threatened to expose him if he did not comply with this demand.
On Sunday evening, he announced that “everyone knew” that the regional mayor had announced a “military gathering.” According to him, the military was not affected because it was in a shelter. Semenychin stated that an investigation into Artiuk had been initiated.
The official Russian military authorities have not yet commented on the attack. Andrei Yermak, head of the Presidential Administration in Kiev, wrote that he was upset if “some people try to use the tragedy and this Russian war crime in social media for their own PR campaign.” He apparently referred to the deputy Mariana Besuglaja. This statement does not seem like a denial.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Russian missile attack on Sumy “awful.” The incident is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are doing so much to end this war and achieve a lasting peace. Unlike other Western state and government leaders, Rubio did not call on Russia to immediately agree to a ceasefire.
The official Russian military authorities have not yet commented on the attack. Andrei Yermak, the head of the Presidential Administration in Kiev, wrote that he was upset if “some people try to use the tragedy and this Russian war crime in social media for their own PR campaign.” He apparently referred to the deputy Mariana Besuglaja. This statement does not seem like a denial.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Russian missile attack on Sumy “awful.” The incident is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are doing so much to end this war and achieve a lasting peace. Unlike other Western state and government leaders, Rubio did not call on Russia to immediately agree to a ceasefire.
The official Russian military authorities have not yet commented on the attack. Andrei Yermak, the head of the Presidential Administration in Kiev, wrote that he was upset if “some people try to use the tragedy and this Russian war crime in social media for their own PR campaign.” He apparently referred to the deputy Mariana Besuglaja. This statement does not seem like a denial.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Russian missile attack on Sumy “awful.” The incident is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are doing so much to end this war and achieve a lasting peace. Unlike other Western state and government leaders, Rubio did not call on Russia to immediately agree to a ceasefire.
The official Russian military authorities have not yet commented on the attack. Andrei Yermak, the head of the Presidential Administration in Kiev, wrote that he was upset if “some people try to use the tragedy and this Russian war crime in social media for their own PR campaign.” He apparently referred to the deputy Mariana Besuglaja. This statement does not seem like a denial.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Russian missile attack on Sumy “awful.” The incident is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are doing so much to end this war and achieve a lasting peace. Unlike other Western state and government leaders, Rubio did not call on Russia to immediately agree to a ceasefire.
The official Russian military authorities have not yet commented on the attack. Andrei Yermak, the head of the Presidential Administration in Kiev, wrote that he was upset if “some people try to use the tragedy and this Russian war crime in social media for their own PR campaign.” He apparently referred to the deputy Mariana Besuglaja. This statement does not seem like a denial.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Russian missile attack on Sumy “awful.” The incident is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are doing so much to end this war and achieve a lasting peace. Unlike other Western state and government leaders, Rubio did not call on Russia to immediately agree to a ceasefire.
The official Russian military authorities have not yet commented on the attack. Andrei Yermak, the head of the Presidential Administration in Kiev, wrote that he was upset if “some people try to use the tragedy and this Russian war crime in social media for their own PR campaign.” He apparently referred to the deputy Mariana Besuglaja. This statement does not seem like a denial.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Russian missile attack on Sumy “awful.” The incident is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are doing so much to end this war and achieve a lasting peace. Unlike other Western state and government leaders, Rubio did not call on Russia to immediately agree to a ceasefire.
The official Russian military authorities have not yet commented on the attack. Andrei Yermak, the head of the Presidential Administration in Kiev, wrote that he was upset if “some people try to use the tragedy and this Russian war crime in social media for their own PR campaign.” He apparently referred to the deputy Mariana Besuglaja. This statement does not seem like a denial.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Russian missile attack on Sumy “awful.” The incident is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his administration are doing so much to end this war and achieve a lasting peace. Unlike other Western state and government leaders, Rubio did not call on Russia to immediately agree to a ceasefire.
The official Russian military authorities have not yet commented on the attack. Andrei Yermak, the head of the Presidential Administration in Kiev, wrote that he was upset