UN denounces lethal Palm Sunday assault in Ukraine | EUROtoday

The two missiles struck a busy avenue within the metropolis centre, damaging residential buildings, an academic facility and civilian autos, as individuals have been out celebrating Palm Sunday, a significant non secular vacation in Ukraine.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres was deeply alarmed and shocked to be taught of the assault his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric mentioned in a press release.

Devastating sample of assaults

“The attack, on Palm Sunday and at the start of Holy Week, continues a devastating pattern of similar assaults on Ukrainian cities and towns in recent weeks, resulting in civilian casualties and large-scale destruction,” he mentioned.

The Secretary-General underlined that assaults in opposition to civilians and civilian objects are prohibited underneath worldwide humanitarian legislation and should finish instantly.

Mr. Guterres renewed his name for a sturdy ceasefire in Ukraine.

He additionally reiterated the UN’s help to significant efforts in direction of a simply, lasting and complete peace that absolutely upholds the nation’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, consistent with the UN Charter, worldwide legislation, and related UN resolutions.

Senior support official ‘utterly appalled’

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, was “utterly appalled” by the Russian missile strike on the center of Sumy metropolis, which is positioned in northeastern Ukraine.

“Palm Sunday is meant to be a day of peace and reflection. Instead, people in Sumy in northeastern Ukraine have been subjected to violence, terror, and loss,” he mentioned.

The missile hit a busy avenue within the metropolis centre, damaging residential buildings, an academic facility, and civilian autos — together with a public bus.

“On behalf of the humanitarian community and the United Nations country team, I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and express my deeply felt condolences with the families whose lives have been torn apart,” mentioned Mr. Schmale.

He recalled that worldwide humanitarian legislation strictly prohibits assaults in opposition to civilians and civilian infrastructure, stressing that “those rules exist to protect human life and dignity — and they must be respected at all times.”