Ukraine has just suffered from its bloody attack on civilians this year. Experts say it is part of the dark direction

When Volodymyr Niankin rushed to SUMY to meet his seven -year -old wife and son who reached a shelter moments before the missile explosion above, describing the arrival of the post -terrible scene.

He said that the bodies are spread across the ground and the cars were mired in the fire, after they criticized the missiles in the one area in Sumi, a city in northeastern Ukraine.

“People were screaming and crying near the dead,” CBC News told CBC News. “My son told me that this is the worst day in his life … it’s the worst life too.”

At least 35 people were killed and more than 115 people were wounded when Russian ballistic missiles exploded near Sumi State University, where many were on their way to the church for palm on Sunday.

Russia says it was targeting a meeting of the city’s military leaders. But human rights experts at the United Nations say that the latest attack is an “ugly index” of a disturbing direction they see since the beginning of the year: an increasing number of civilians are killed, even when Washington is trying to persuade Russia to agree to the ceasefire.

“We understand that things get worse.”

Niankin says the missiles are about 100 meters away in Sumi, a city of about a quarter of a million people.

The first weapon struck a conference center belonging to the Sumi State University, which was also where Niankin and his wife run a small community theater.

After hitting the first missile, Niankin’s wife called him to say that she and their son are leaving a nearby building and heading to a shelter. While they were running there, the second missile exploded. The force of the explosion blew the door that fell on the leg of their son.

While the child was satisfied and seriously injured, Niankin says he was shocked by the attack.

“Most people died after the second missile because they were on the street.”

Many of them were killed inside a car bus that was passing by the second missile.

“It is terrible,” he told CBC News in an interview with Zoom.

“We understand that things get worse.”

Increase civil losses

According to United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in UkraineBetween January and March this year, more than 440 civilians were killed and more than 2,200 people were injured, an increase of 47 percent during the same period in 2024.

Less than mid -April, experts say this dark pattern continues.

Nine days before the strikes in Sumi, 20 people were killed In the southern city of Kryvyi Rih, when a ballistic missile turned into a residential area, shrapnel sprinkled through a wide range, including a stadium.

Nine children were killed in this attack, including a nine -year -old child who was on a swing at the time.

“This attack was the largest number of children who have been killed since the comprehensive invasion,” said Daniel Bell, head of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

“Patterns and directions of harm we document are very worrying.”

The attack on the center of Sumi, which is located about 30 kilometers from the Russian border, came two days after the Washington’s special envoy Steve Witkev met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg for talks that the Kremlin described as “very useful”.

In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that its forces launched the Iceander-M tactical missiles at a meeting of the military leaders. She claimed that more than 60 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, although he had not provided any evidence.

While US President Donald Trump The attack called “Terrible” – adding that he was told “they made a mistake” – he did not explain when the reporters pressed more details.

Later, on Monday, in the comments made on social media and at the Oval Office, Trump wondered about the efficiency of Ukrainian President, and accused Volodemyr Zelenskyy of allowing the war to start.

Many European leaders condemned Russia’s attack in Sumi. German Chancellor Friedrich Mirz described it as a dangerous “war crime”.

A city 30 kilometers from the front lines

Russia attacked Sumi with missiles, drones and bombs before, especially since August when Ukraine has suddenly penetrated into the Russian Kursk region.

Niankin says weapons usually target military and those related to electrical infrastructure. But this strike was the bloodiest attack on civilians this year, according to Ukrainian officials.

Andrei Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, said the missiles were full of cluster ammunition designed to leave a more destructive wake up.

Under international humanitarian law, the attack may be directed at a military body illegal If there is a random or incompatible effect on civilians.

Experts on the mission of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring a team sends a team to Sumi to speak with victims, eyewitnesses and collect evidence.

Bell said they were trying to do this after every civilian attack. She says more civilians were killed by “intensive use of long -term weapons”, which in some cases struck schools and residential buildings.

“We have witnessed an increase in the attacks that affected medical facilities … hospitals and clinics,” Bell said.

More drones in Sumi

In Sumi, Niankin and his wife visited the community theater full of kicks on Sunday afternoon. The roof of the building disappeared, and the brick piles collapsed as it was one day. They saved the pillars and costumes they could find from the partially destroyed dressing room.

Niankin believes that some families living in the city may choose to move to the West.

However, he says he will not, because he has the elderly grandmother in the city. He and his wife also believed that it is important for them to stay until they continue to manage the children’s drama programs in the city.

“For us, the residence in Sumi is similar to a social mission,” he said, but he questioned that the city will get a rest.

After the tragedy on Sunday, I think the two might prove quieter, but it quickly proven wrong.

“Shahid (drones) landed about one hour ago from the city,” he said, referring to Iranian designer drones that explode on the effect.

“I saw black smoke from my window.”