U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday expressed condolences to Ukraine following Russia’s fatal Palm Sunday attack on Sumy, which left at least 34 people dead, but stopped short of urging stronger action against Moscow.
Rubio wrote on X that the United States extended its deepest condolences to the victims of today’s horrifying Russian missile attack on Sumy in Ukraine.
“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 added.
US special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg said the attack on civilian targets in Sumy crossed ‘any line of decency’.
“Today’s Palm Sunday attack by Russian forces on civilian targets in Sumy crosses any line of decency. There are scores of civilian dead and wounded. As a former military leader, I understand targeting, and this is wrong. It is why President Trump is working hard to end this war,” the US official wrote on X handle.
Sumy Strike
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday claimed 31 people, including children, died after a Russian ballistic missile hit Sumy city.
He said more than 84 people were injured in the attack.
“As of now, 31 people are known to have been killed in Sumy by the Russian ballistic missile strike. Among those killed were two children. My condolences to the families and loved ones… More than 84 people have been wounded, including 10 children. All of them are receiving the necessary assistance,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Later, the death toll mounted to 34, according to local media reports.
Ukraine Seeks Global Response
Zelenskyy urged the world to break the silence on Russia and its acts against Ukraine.
He wrote on X: “It is crucial that the world does not stay silent or indifferent. Russian strikes deserve nothing but condemnation. There must be pressure on Russia to end the war and guarantee security for the people. Without truly strong pressure, without sufficient support for Ukraine, Russia will continue dragging this war out.”
“It’s now the second month that Putin has been ignoring the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire. Unfortunately, there in Moscow they are convinced they can keep killing with impunity. Action is needed to change this situation,” he said.
Deadly March For Ukrainians
More than three years after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian civilians continue to face the devastating consequences of war, with March 2025 proving to be another deadly month.
“The near daily barrage of long-range drones killed and injured scores of civilians across the country last month, and disrupted life for millions more,” said the head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), Danielle Bell, in the independent human rights team’s latest monthly update.
The mission was mandated by the UN human rights chief at the invitation of the Ukrainian Government in 2014, to help safeguard rights during the escalating conflict.
164 Ukrainians killed
With at least 164 Ukrainians killed and 910 injured, March 2025 saw a 50% spike in civilian casualties from the previous month. These numbers represent a 71% increase in civilian casualties compared with March last year, says the latest HRMMU Protection of Civilians Report.
Russian attacks on cities such as Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Sumy, combined with multiple munitions strikes on Dobropillia, exacerbated the high number of casualties in March.
Kryvyi Rih, located around 65 kilometres from the frontline, was one of the places most heavily affected, suffering five waves of Russian attacks which killed at least six civilians and injured 66.
Civilian buildings in the city – home town of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – including two hotels and a restaurant, were amongst the sites hit.
Some 29 medical and 50 educational facilities were damaged by Russian armed forces during the last month, while two medical centres and six educational facilities were completely destroyed.
“Hospitals enjoy special protection under international humanitarian law and should not be subjected to attack,” Bell said.
Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law, said UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, emphasising that parties to a conflict ought to differentiate military from civilian infrastructures.
(With inputs from IBNS)
