By Gina Christian, OSV News
Catholic and other religious leaders are condemning a Palm Sunday attack by Russia on a Ukrainian city that killed 34 — including two children — and injured 119.
“When we celebrate the feast of life, the enemy wishes to inflict its feast of death on us,” said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in an April 13 statement.
Two ballistic missiles launched by Russia earlier that same day struck the center of Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine located some 15 miles from the Russian border.
The second missile was “likely packed with fragmentation elements” and “exploded in midair to inflict maximum damage on people in the city streets,” said Serhii Kryvosheienko of the Sumy Military Administration in a post on the Telegram social media platform.
He said the second strike “caused most of the casualties.”
“This is nothing but another crime against humanity,” said Major Archbishop Shevchuk.
The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, the largest organization of religious leaders in Ukraine, also condemned the strikes, which took place amid both the Jewish holiday of Passover (April 12-20, 2025) and the Christian observance of Holy Week.
“Despite the festal period associated with the celebration of the Jewish Passover and Christian Easter, the Russian state continues to terrorize Ukrainian cities and villages day and night with drone and missile attacks, as well as shelling,” said the council in a statement.
The council added, “Such actions demonstrate that nothing is sacred for the state that declares itself to be ‘Holy Rus,'” referencing a longstanding theological and political concept that positions Russia as a defender of traditional Christian values.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Patriarich Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, have invoked the concept to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which continues attacks launched in 2014, and which has been declared a genocide in two joint reports from the New Lines Institute and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.
UCCRO said in its statement that Russia’s Palm Sunday strike showed “basic respect for the value of human life is absent, not to mention respect for the holidays of Christianity and Judaism.”
The attack drew condemnation from numerous heads of state, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Moldova President Maia Sandu, who said in an April 13 post on X that “Palm Sunday is a day of peace,” and that “there is no justification for such evil.”
Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelenskyy called for a global response to the strikes, which followed a similar April 4 attack by Russia on a playground in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Nine children were among the 20 killed in that strike.
“It is crucial that the world does not stay silent or indifferent,” said Zelenskyy in an April 13 post on X.
Earlier this month, the United Nations reported that during March civilian casualties in Ukraine had risen 50% since February, and 71% compared to the same time last year.
Zelenskky noted in his X post that “it’s now the second month that Putin has been ignoring the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire. … Action is needed to change this situation.”
The council also urged “all people of goodwill to pray for the victory of truth and a just peace for Ukraine,” adding, “Our condolences go to the victims of Russian state terror 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.”
“Today, we embrace with our prayers and our condolences all those affected by this missile strike, their families and friends, and our wounded Sumy,” said Major Archbishop Shevchuk. “We sincerely hope that our faith in the Resurrection brings solace to those who lost their loved ones today.”
While “we entrust them to the hands of the Heavenly Father” and “pray for their eternal peace,” he said, “we will do everything to stop this war and prevent further suffering and tragedy.”
