Sumy after the Palm Sunday missile strike of 13 April
A look back at the aftermath of the Iskander-M attack on the centre of Sumy, and the competing accounts of its target.
What did Sumy know on 14 April 2025, the day after two Russian ballistic missiles hit the centre of the city on Palm Sunday?
The strike on 13 April killed at least 35 people and wounded 117 others, according to reports at the time. The missiles were Iskander-M ballistic missiles carrying cluster munitions, as reported then. Later accounts put the number of wounded at 129, including 15 children, and said the dead included two children. Those accounts described it as the deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians since 2023. They also said it came as residents gathered for Palm Sunday church services.
Competing accounts of the target
The Russian Defence Ministry said the strike targeted a military gathering in the city. Artem Semenikhin, the mayor of Konotop in Sumy region, said regional Governor Volodymyr Artyukh had planned an awards ceremony for the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade in Sumy on the same day.
The type of munition was also described differently afterwards. Ukrainian officials reported ballistic missiles with cluster munitions, while BBC News Russian later affirmed the use of high-explosive incendiary munitions instead.
By 14 April, the figures of 35 dead and 117 wounded were the count that had been reported for an attack that hit the centre of a regional city on a religious holiday.
