The attack this Sunday with ballistic missiles to the Ukrainian city of Sumy revived the need for a ceasefire and the abyss in the narratives of kyiv and Moscow about the nature and objectives of a war that lasts more than three years.
The bombing, which left at least 34 dead – including two children – and more than 117 injured, was qualified by Ukraine as a war crime and by Russia as a legitimate military operation against strategic objectives.
Chronology and context
The city of Sumy, located less than 30 kilometers from the Russian border, was shaken by two powerful explosions when the population congregated to celebrate Ramos Sunday, date that this year coincided for Catholics and Orthodox.
According to the head of the Regional Administration, Volodymir Artiuj, the missiles hit an urban area with residential buildings, educational institutions and parked vehicles.
The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, denounced that the missiles fell into a common street, seriously affecting the congress center attached to the Public University of Sumy, a cultural space used by children and families for artistic and educational activities.
Zelenski reiterated the need for a global response and harder sanctions against Russia, stressing that “only real pressure on Russia can stop this.”
A dissident voice
However, unofficial versions, such as that of the mayor of Konotop, Artem Semenijin, suggest that a military award ceremony was being carried out in Sumy, although the regional authorities deny that the soldiers were exposed during the attack.
“As far as I could find out, the head of the Administration of the Sumy region, Volodimir Artiuj, decided to decorate military from Brigade 117 (who returned from Kursk), despite the fact that he was warned that he did not,” he denounced the Ukraine Semenijin press.
From Washington, Keith Kellog, special envoy from the White House for Ukraine and Russia, described the attack as an action that “crosses any limit of decency” and exemplifies the urgency of ending war.
European leaders such as Poland Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, and Finnish Chancellor Elina Valtonen, have denounced the attack as a warm war crime and order more severe sanctions against Moscow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O43MSPF3kg8
Moscow speaks
For its part, the Kremlin argues that the attack was aimed at a meeting of Ukrainian military commanders and that the Russian army only attacks military objectives.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation was directed against a concentration of military forces and accused kyiv of using civilians as human shields by organizing military meetings in the city center.
Moscow says that more than 60 Ukrainian soldiers died in the attack, although he did not present evidence to support this statement.
On the diplomatic plane, the Russian Foreign Minister, Serguéi Lavrov, insisted that the West seeks to perpetuate the conflict and preserve a “Nazi regime” in Ukraine, accusing European leaders to prepare the land for a new war against Russia.
Lavrov also stressed that Russia demands credible guarantees by Ukraine and the West to advance in any peace process.
The Russian Foreign Minister highlighted the existence of “reasonable people” in the US administration after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, which has allowed advancing on issues such as the operation of embassies and the protection of energy infrastructure.
Trump is pronounced
President Trump soon reacting to the attack. He described him as an “error”, but faithful to his rhetorical style, he went further by holding up to both President Joe Biden and Volodimir Zelenski and Vladimir Putin for the beginning and prolongation of war.
In other statements, this time during a meeting with the Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, the president lashed out again against Zelenski, accusing him of being co -responsible for the Russian invasion and constantly looking for Western armament to defend himself.
“When you start a war, you have to be sure that you can win it. You do not start a war against someone who is 20 times bigger than you and then expect people to give you some missiles,” Trump said in a direct criticism of the Ukrainian strategy and the military support policy of the West.
In parallel, the European Union debates a new package of sanctions against Russia, although internal divisions hinder the adoption of more severe measures that also impact European economies.
They capture Chinese volunteers
Meanwhile, two Chinese citizens captured by the Ukrainian forces when they fought for Russia, they said at a press conference in kyiv who joined the war voluntarily after seeing recruitment ads in Tiktok.
They said that they were not encouraged or supported by the Chinese authorities, who warned them about the danger of participating in the conflict.
Both said they hope to be included in the future exchange of prisoners and return with their families, said the report of the US agency Associated Press (AP).
Although China has provided strong diplomatic support to Russia since it launched its large -scale invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022, it is not believed that it has provided Russia troops, weapons or military experience consciously, said the AP.
