Vatican News / Website
CV NEWS FEED // The apostolic nuncio to Ukraine decried the Russian missile attack launched on Palm Sunday in the city center of Sumy close to the Russian border, reportedly killing at least 34 people, including children, and injuring more than 100.
Nuncio Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas told Vatican News that many of the victims were Christians who were on their way to church when the two missiles struck. His short statement on the tragedy reflected that the only hopeful way forward is through God’s help, as human efforts toward peace thus far have fallen short.
“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,” Archbishop Kulbokas said.
The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations also condemned the missile strike.
“Basic respect for the value of human life is absent,” the council stated, “not to mention respect for the holidays of Christianity and Judaism.”
The council noted that, this year, Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants will all celebrate Easter on the same day, and 2025 marks the celebration of 1,700 years since the Council of Nicaea.
The council also called for international intervention against Russia and urged people to pray for peace and truth to prevail.
“Our condolences go to the victims of Russian state terror,” the council said, “and we beseech the Almighty for just retribution against the perpetrators of this and all other acts of Russian terror against the people of Ukraine.”
The Associated Press reported that Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that the missile strike targeted senior Ukrainian military officers. The Ministry also “accused Kyiv of using civilians as shields by holding military meetings in the city’s center,” according to The Associated Press.
President Donald Trump initially described the missile strike on Sumy as a “mistake,” and on April 15 said the mistake was that the war was allowed to begin at all, The Associated Press reported.
“Biden could’ve stopped it,” Trump said, “and Zelenskyy could’ve stopped it and Putin should’ve never started it. Everybody’s to blame.”
