Russias Defense Ministry Claims Sumy Strike Targeted Military Meeting Despite Civilian Casualties

On Monday, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that its missile attack on Sumy, a city in Ukraine, resulted in the deaths of «over 60 Ukrainian servicemen.» This statement came during a conference of military leaders, marking a departure from a 24-hour period of silence, as Russia denied any intent to target civilians.

Ukrainian officials reported that the strike on Sunday morning killed 34 individuals, including two children, and injured 117 others. This assault, which struck the city center, was one of the most lethal incidents in Ukraine since the beginning of 2023.

The attack prompted widespread condemnation, including remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump, who described it as a «terrible act» and implied that Russia had «made a mistake.»

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, they launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles at a location where military commanders were gathered, asserting that the strike resulted in the deaths of over 60 Ukrainian personnel. The ministry accused Ukraine of setting up military operations in civilian areas and utilizing residents as «human shields.»

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated to reporters on Monday that «our forces only target military and military-related sites,» firmly denying any attacks on civilians or residential infrastructure.

Peskov further emphasized that under Russian law, only information released by the Defense Ministry is deemed official, criminalizing reports on the conflict that rely on non-governmental sources.

While the Defense Ministry acknowledged that civilian casualties occurred, it attributed responsibility to Ukraine, claiming the strike took place in a heavily populated region due to a military assembly organized by Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack on Sunday and extended an invitation to Trump to visit Ukraine to see the devastation for himself. He pointed out that the strike coincided with Palm Sunday, a significant Christian holiday.

«Only utterly deranged individuals could commit such an act,» Zelensky stated in his evening address.

This marked the second substantial Russian assault this month resulting in numerous civilian casualties; a prior strike in Zelensky’s home city of Kryvyi Rih killed at least 18 people, including nine children.

Reporting by AFP contributed to this article.