A Russian missile strike on Ukraine's northeastern city of Sumy killed at least 32 people, including two children, and wounded dozens, Kiev said, in the deadliest attack in months.
The local emergency service said on social media on Sunday that the latest toll was that "32 people died, including two children" and that "84 people were injured, including 10 children".
An AFP reporter saw bodies covered in silver sheets strewn in the centre of the city, with a destroyed trolleybus. Rescuers were seen working on the rubble of a building.
One woman told AFP she heard two explosions.
"This second blow... A lot of people were very badly injured. A lot of corpses," she said, struggling to speak.
Sumy lies close to the Russian border and has come under increasing attack for weeks.
The attack was the second Russian attack with a large civilian death toll this month.
Trump has voiced anger at Moscow for "bombing like crazy" in Ukraine.
No pressure, no peace
In a later statement on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a rescue operation is underway at the scene of the attack, noting all necessary services are working.
Zelenskyy called on allies to put strong pressure on Russia to end its war against Ukraine.
“Without really strong pressure, without proper support for Ukraine, Russia will continue to drag out this war. It's been two months since Putin ignored America’s proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire,” Zelenskyy said on social media, adding, “Unfortunately, they in Moscow are confident that they can afford to keep killing. We need to act to change the situation.”
“Without pressure on Russia, peace is impossible. Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that Russia refused to accept the US proposal for a full ceasefire for the second month in a row, reminding that Kyiv unconditionally accepted the proposal on March 11.
Ukraine, meanwhile, says details of the Black Sea ceasefire needs to be worked out.
“Instead, Russia ramps up its terror. We urge partners to provide Ukraine with additional air defence capabilities and increase pressure on Moscow,” Sybiha said, arguing strength to be the only language Moscow can understand.
Russian authorities have not immediately commented on the attack or the claims.
Russia accuses Ukraine
On Sunday, Russia accused Ukraine of continuing to violate a moratorium reached last month on strikes against each other’s energy facilities, claiming that two such facilities in its border region of Belgorod were hit over the past day.
On March 18, the US brokered two agreements between Russia and Ukraine – one to “ensure safe navigation” in the Black Sea and another for a 30-day halt on attacks targeting energy infrastructure – which took effect following talks in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the agreements, both sides have frequently accused each other of violating the pause on energy-related strikes.
A Russian Defence Ministry statement claimed that Moscow recorded two strikes on its energy infrastructure over the past 24 hours, the first of which took place on Friday evening when an attack disconnected a 10 kV high-voltage line in the border region.
“More than 600 household consumers in the Shebekinsky District were left without power supply,” the statement said. It further claimed that consumers in the village of Stepnoye were left without a power supply due to an attack on another facility.
Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on Russia’s claims.
