Kremlin defends amid uproar: Missile strike kills 34 in Sumy
The Kremlin has commented on the deadly attack on Sumy. Dmitry Peskov claims that only military targets were attacked. However, let us recall that 34 civilians were killed as a result of the Russian shelling.
What do you need to know?
- Where and when did the attack occur? On Palm Sunday, the Russian army attacked the center of Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine.
- What were the consequences of the attack? 34 civilians were killed, and 117 people were injured.
- What does the Kremlin claim? Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov merely reiterated Russia's propaganda. He claims that the targets were exclusively military facilities.
What were the targets of the Russian attack?
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed the tragic shelling of Sumy on Monday.
Peskov claims that the Russian army only attacks military targets. We must note that 34 civilians were killed in the Russian shelling.
What does the Russian defense ministry say?
The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that the target of the attack was a meeting of Ukrainian commanders in Sumy. Two Iskander missiles were used in the attack.
The mayor of Konotop in the Sumy region accused the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration of organizing a ceremony in Sumy to award soldiers of the 117th Territorial Defence Brigade. He claims that they - not civilians - were the target of the Russian missiles.
According to him, only civilians were affected by the Russian attack on the city. None of the military personnel were injured because the award ceremony took place in a shelter.
Attack on Sumy
President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on the tragic missile attack on the city of Sumy.
"Enemy missiles hit an ordinary city street, ordinary life: houses, educational institutions, cars on the street … And this on a day when people go to church: Palm Sunday, the feast of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem," wrote Volodymyr Zelensky on the X service.
"My condolences to the families and loved ones. The rescue operation is ongoing. All necessary services are working," the President of Ukraine pointed out.
NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart also reacted to the attack. "Horrific scenes from the center of Sumy where Russian ballistic missiles killed dozens and severely injured many more ordinary civilians. Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people on what is a sacred day for so many" - she wrote on platform X.
