Putin 'mocking' Trump - as Moscow offers explanation for missile strike that killed 34

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We can now bring you some further details from the Russian defence ministry's statement on the Sumy attack.

It claims that the attack targeted a meeting of the command staff of the "Siversk" operational-tactical group.

Despite Ukraine reporting the number of people killed in the attack to be 34, Russia's defence ministry said it killed "more than 60" Ukrainian armed forces servicemen instead. 

It also accused Ukraine of using civilians as "human shields" by "holding events with the participation of military personnel" in the middle of densely populated cities.

Ukrainians living in New York gathered for an emergency rally in Times Square yesterday after Russia's attack on Sumy.

People held signs telling people to: "Google Sumy today".

Another displayed a fake mugshot of Vladimir Putin holding up a card that identified him as a war criminal. 

Russia's defence ministry says it targeted a meeting of Ukrainian military commanders with its attack on Sumy yesterday.

It confirmed that Russian forces used two Iksander missiles to attack the city, with Ukrainian officials reporting 34 people were killed.

Yesterday, outgoing US ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said Russia used cluster munitions during the attack.

The banned explosive weapon scatters submunitions (or "bomblets") over a wider area upon impact, ensuring maximum destruction.

Speaking to Sky News this morning, security and defence analyst Michael Clarke disputed the idea Russia was targeting a meeting of Ukrainian military personnel, saying it didn't appear to match their method of attack.

"It doesn't square with cluster munitions because they're meant to be used on the surface to kill as many people as possible," he said.

"The use of cluster bombs inside the warheads would be completely illegal in any case. And it's pretty clear from what we can see from the damage, what's been said that in Sumy itself, there were cluster bombs."

We've just had some lines from the Kremlin on yesterday's missile strike in Sumy.

When asked about the attack, which killed 34 people, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia only strikes military or military-related targets.

He said other questions about the attack should be directed at the Russian defence ministry.

On US-Russia talksbetween US envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putinlast Friday, Peskov said the issues discussed were "extremely complex" and "very useful and effective".

He said the pair had not substantively discussed a possible meeting between Putin and Donald Trump.

Lithuania's foreign ministry says it has summoned a representative of the Russian embassy in Vilnius to answer for yesterday's missile strike on Sumy.

"Those behind this attack will not escape justice," the ministry said in a post on X.

"Responsibility is also shared by everyone working for Kremlin's criminal regime, including Russian diplomats."

Russia will escalate its war in Ukraine and trigger a global conflict if not stopped soon, Volodymyr Zekenskyy has warned.

Ukraine's president was speaking to US outlet CBS prior to Russia's devastating attack on Sumy, which killed 34 people yesterday.

"If we do not stand firm, he will advance further," Zelenskyy said. 

"It is not just idle speculation; the threat is real. Putin's ultimate goal is to revive the Russian empire and reclaim territories currently under NATO protection. Considering all of this, I believe it could escalate into a world war." 

He added: "There won't be a safe place, there won't be a safe place for (anyone)."

Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's special envoy, has sought to keep diplomatic channels open with Russia, claiming last month that Putin "wants peace."

When asked about the Russian president's territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine, Witkoff responded: "I just don't see that he wants to take all of Europe."

Donald Trump has described Russia's attack on Sumy as "terrible" but stopped short of calling out Vladimir Putin directly for the strike that killed 34 people in northeastern Ukraine yesterday.

The Trump administration has undertaken a sharp reversal of former president Joe Biden's policy to isolate Russia, bringing Moscow to the table for peace talks and reopening cooperation between its embassies.

But, as Poland's foreign minister said earlier this morning, Putin appears to be "mocking" Trump's goodwill with Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine (see 9.07am post).

Security and defence analyst Michael Clarke says there might now come a point where the US president is forced to be tougher on Russia.

"There was a sense that Easter was going to be a time when he wanted some sort of deal, that he wanted to be a peacemaker," he tells presenter Gareth Barlow. "That's obviously not going to happen now.

"There will come a point at which either he might reverse his policy, and start to be really tough on the Russians and give Ukraine a lot more military help. 

"That would be a very important signal, but that would be such a big switch from his approach so far."

Clarke adds that it's more likely Trump will "kick it into the long grass politically" and the war "will just carry on".

Remember, you can submit a question at the top of this page for Professor Clarke to answer on Wednesday in his weekly Ukraine Q&A.

As we mentioned this morning, Donald Trump offered his reaction to yesterday's Russian attack on Sumy while onboard Air Force One last night.

The US president called the strikes "terrible" and said Russia "made a mistake", without elaborating.

Watch those comments here:

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has had a devastating impact on the country's civilians, especially those living on the frontlines.

The images below are from Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. The city is a road and rail hub with huge strategic importance for Ukraine.

They show police officers evacuating residents from the city amid continuing Russian attacks.

Russia has been accused of committing war crimes throughout its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over allegations of involvement in the war crime of child abductions.

And overnight, Germany's incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Putin of committing "a deliberate and calculated war crime" with yesterday's devastating attack on Sumy (see 6.53am post).

What are war crimes?

War crimes are serious violations of international humanitarian law committed during armed conflicts.

Examples include:

• intentionally killing civilians or prisoners of war;
• torture;
• taking hostages;
• unnecessarily destroying civilian property;
• genocide or ethnic cleansing.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague prosecutes those accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Leaders and individuals can be charged with war crimes and be held criminally responsible for the actions of a country or its soldiers during wartime.

There is no period of limitation for war crimes, meaning those who commit them can be prosecuted and punished no matter how much time has elapsed since the crimes were committed.