As Ukraine mourns the victims of the brutal missile attack in Sumy on Palm Sunday, the Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine says there’s nothing left to do but to turn to God, because no human force seems capable to stop the carnage and bring peace in the war-torn nation.
By Francesca Sabatinelli and Lisa Zengarini
Palm Sunday , 13 April, marked yet another horrific chapter in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
On what should have been a sacred and peaceful day of worship, tragedy struck the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, turning Palm Sunday into a day of mourning and devastation.
Just 50 kilometers from the Russian border, Sumy became the site of a deadly missile strike, as two Russian ballistic missiles landed in the city centre around 10 a.m., right as the faithful were making their way to church.
The attack reportedly killed at least 34 people, including children, and injured over 100. The victims, many of whom were preparing to celebrate the beginning of Holy Week, instead found themselves caught in a carnage.
The city centre of Sumy after the Russian missile attack on Palm Sunday
There’s nothing left but to turn to the Lord to defend us
In a brief statement to Vatican News, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, conveyed a sense of helplessness in the face of such senseless violence. “There’s nothing left but to turn to the Lord to defend us, because it seems that no other force is capable of protecting peace and life,” he said.
The Vatican Nuncio noted that in this moment of shared Christian observance—this year, Easter, according to both main calendars Gregorian and Julian falls on the same date,—the attack becomes even more symbolic, cutting into the heart of a nation already under siege.
European Union: Yet another war crime
Sunday’s attack on Sumy is the second large-scale strike with high casualties in just a few days. Just over a week ago, a deadly missile raid hit Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of the Ukrainian president, killing around 20 people, including nine children.
“A terrible Russian ballistic missile attack on Sumy,” wrote President Zelensky on Telegram. “Enemy missiles hit an ordinary city street, everyday life: houses, schools, cars on the road. And this happens on a day when people are going to church—Palm Sunday, the feast of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem.”
“Horrific scenes from Sumy,” wrote NATO’s acting spokesperson, Allison Hart, on social media. “Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people on this sacred day for many.”
The European Union ambassador, Katarina Mathernova, called the “horrible Russian attack” on Sumy “another in a series of war crimes.”
European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg this morning to discuss the key challenges facing the bloc in foreign affairs after the attack. The leaders are due to discuss what more they can do to help Ukraine “deter the Russian aggression.”
