OVER 30 people were killed in the Ukrainian city of Sumy today by a Russian missile strike.

Two ballistic missiles hit the city centre at 10.15am, as many residents were gathering for traditional Palm Sunday processions. Firefighters scrambled to put out fires while video footage showed lines of body bags on the streets. The death toll was reported at 32 when the Morning Star went to press.

“On this bright Palm Sunday, our community has suffered a terrible tragedy,” acting Mayor Artem Kobzar said.

Russia did not immediately comment on the strike. It said its army was continuing to advance, inflicting heavy losses on Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions, and capturing the settlement Yelizavetovka in Donetsk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called those responsible for the missile strike “filthy scum,” with his office saying cluster munitions were used to maximise casualties. 

He hinted that the attack ought to end ongoing talks between the United States and Russia on a peace deal in Ukraine: “Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs. What’s needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves.”

On Saturday at a conference in Antalya, Turkey, the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers accused each other of violating an agreement not to target energy infrastructure, though Russia has previously been evasive about whether it considers this agreement to be in force, saying it could be contingent on an end to certain international sanctions. 

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The Kremlin said talks were going “very well,” with Mr Trump appearing to agree on Saturday, saying they were “going fine.”