Russia Carries Out Cluster Deadly Attack on Ukraine, Easter Sunday or Not
REUTERSA little earlier we heard from French President Emmanuel Macron who says Russia's attack on Sumy shows a "blatant disregard for human lives"
Now, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has condemned the attack as "horrific".
He says the strikes are a "stark reminder of the continued bloodshed" carried out by Russia.
"President Zelensky has shown his commitment to peace, President Putin must now agree to a full and immediate ceasefire without conditions - as Ukraine has done," Starmer adds.
- As a reminder, Starmer and Macron have been working together to try and bring peace in Ukraine, having set up the "coalition of the willing"and calling for an end to the war
In pictures: Rescue efforts continue in Sumy
The Ukrainian authorities have released some more pictures showing the scale of the devastation on Sumy.
These latest images show emergency services' continuing response to this morning's deadly strikes:
EPA
EPA
EPAEPAThe number of victims may rise, says Ukraine's interior minister
We've seen a statement from Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, who has confirmed at least two Russian ballistic missiles hit Sumy earlier.
Speaking to Ukrainian news agency RBC-Ukraine, Klymenko also warns "the number of victims may increase".
In a scathing attack on the Russian military, Klymenko says the attacks hit the city centre, noting that on Palm Sunday many people were on the street celebrating and there is a church near to the strike location.
"It was at this time that the Russians struck, clearly realising that they were hitting civilians," he adds.
Cluster munitions used to kill as many people as possible, Sumy officials say
James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent in Kyiv
UKRAINE STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE VIA EPAUkrainian rescue workers at the site of the rocket strike on Sumy
These were direct hits on a bustling city on a weekend morning. And given it was Palm Sunday, more people would have been about than normal.
Officials in Sumy say the missiles were packed with cluster munitions, which are designed to take as many lives as possible.
They have left a scene of devastation, with burning vehicles, bent trees, and a burning trolley car where the deaths seem to have been concentrated.
Bodies that were strewn across the area are gradually being put into body bags in Sumy and the death toll will likely rise in a place that's now habitually pummelled by Russian forces across the nearby border.
It’s a part of Ukraine where Russian forces are thought to be preparing for a major offensive, as they continue to pursue their goal of occupying as much of the country as possible.
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