At least 32 people, including two children, were killed by a Russian missile strike on the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy as they were headed to church on Palm Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.
The strike also left at least 84 people injured, including eight children, according to the police.
Many injured were in the street, with others in cars, on public transport and inside residential buildings, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram.
Images showed lifeless bodies on the streets, burning vehicles and widespread destruction.
City authorities announced that a crisis team had been set up in response to the attack.
“Everyone is receiving the necessary assistance,” Zelensky said on Telegram.
In an earlier Telegram post, Zelensky spoke of a terrible attack that hit while people were going to church for Palm Sunday celebrations ahead of the Easter holiday.
Zelensky called for “a tough reaction” from international allies.
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, called the scenes from Sumy “heartbreaking,” noting that locals were gathering for Palm Sunday “only to be met by Russian missiles.
“Horrific example of Russia intensifying attacks while Ukraine has accepted an unconditional ceasefire,” she posted on X.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke of a “war crime” and criticized Russia for dragging its feet on accepting a US proposal made in March for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Sumy, located near the Russian Kursk and Belgorod border regions, has been repeatedly targeted since the beginning of the war.
With Western help, Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three years.
The United States has tried to broker a 30-day ceasefire, but while Kiev agreed to the proposal, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has set a number of preconditions.