Photo : AFP/OLEG VORONENKO
Photo : AFP/OLEG VORONENKO
By Fleur E Philip and Padmashree Anandhan
WAR ON GROUND
On 14 April, Ukrainian forces targetted the Kursk region in Russia, with drones, that resulted in the death of one and injury of nine. According to the report by the Russian defence ministry, 109 drones were destroyed. While acting mayor of Kursk, Sergei Kotlayrov said: “The attack has resulted in the damage of a multi-storey building, several flats catching fire, and the evacuation of the residents to a nearby school.” Apart from the building, the drones hit an ambulance garage, and damaged 11 cars.
On 13 April, two Russian missiles attacked the Sumy resulting in the death of 34 and injury of 119. The two missiles hit the the Sumy State University and the Congress center. According to the Ukraine State Emergency Services, this attack is considered as the deadliest attack of 2025. When asked about the attack, Russia’s President Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia’s military only strikes military targets.” While Russia’s Defence Minisry claimed: “The strike only targetted the gathering of senior military officials and accused Kyiv of using civilians as sheilds by holding meetings in the city center.”
THE MOSCOW VIEW
Claims by Russia
On 13 April, Russia claimed attack in the Sumy city. According to the defence ministry, the missiles targetted the meeting of Ukraineian military officers with their western collegues, but there was no evidence of the presence of western participants in the region to support the allegation.
On 13 April, Peskov told Russian television host Pavel Zarubin that Russia and the US were making steady progress in rebuilding their relationship, emphasizing that restoring ties from the ground up is a complex task requiring significant diplomatic and other efforts. He noted that the process involves gradual steps aimed at rebuilding a basic level of mutual trust, with ongoing communication between the two countries’ foreign ministries and intelligence services. Peskov also mentioned that the discussions include many nuances, particularly regarding the full resumption of their diplomatic missions.
THE WEST VIEW
Responses from the US and Europe
On 14 April, Germany’s next chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Russian President Vladimir Putin for committing a war crime on Sunday, that killed more than 34 in Sumy. The leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said: “The deadly Russian missile assault was a deliberate and calculated war crime.” Merz also emphasized his support by supplying Ukraine with Taurus (long range missiles), as this is Germany’s efforts to help Kyiv seize the momentum against Russia. Merz stressed that the delivery of long range missiles would only happen, as long as this action is coordinated with the other European allies. Merz noted that the UK, France and someother countries have already provided Ukraine with missiles. He said: “The Ukrainian military needs to be able to get ahead of the situation.” He added that the missiles could be used to target the Kerch Bridge the land link between Russia and Crimea. Ukraine has been demanding the delivery of Taurus missiles for years, primarily in order to be able to target strategically important infrastructures such as Kerch Bridge, however the outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz, Social Democratic Party (SPD) refused to provide the Taurus missiles to Ukraine due to the risks of escalating the conflict, and feared that Germany could become a party to the war if it sends Kyiv the weapons.
On 14 April, in a report by the New York Times, US President Donald Trump was questioned on the Sumy attack by Russia. He said: “The whole incident was horrible and it was a mistake on Russia’s part, not just the incident the whole war itself. The whole war is an abuse of power.” He criticized the destruction of Ukraine’s cultural landmarks and reiterated that the war was a result of a “rigged election.” Trump also emphasized his desire to stop the conflict to save lives on both sides. On the same day, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky extended invitation to Trump to visit the country before a deal is struck with Russia to end the war. He said: “Please, before any kind of decisions, any forms of negotiations, come to see the people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, destroyed or dead children.”
On 13 April, Türkiye’s National Defence announced the meeting with military responses of the representative countries, which is to be held on the 15 and 16 April. The purpose of the meet is for the security of the Black Sea, after a possible ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The meeting is to be held in the Turkish Naval Forec headquarters, to discuss the military planning for the preservation of peace in the Black Sea. Türkiye is engaged in a taskforce in the Black Sea for security against stray naval mines, and the threat from the mines escalate from the growing tensions between Russa and Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told Anadolu Agency: “Türkiye’s role in maintaining regional stability and building momentum for a just lasting peace. The role of Türkiye, and its President Erdoğan in peace efforts is quite significant.” Sybiha in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, underlined the cooperation betwen Ankara and Kyiv calling it a win-win partnership. Sybiha further added: “We aim for a just and sustainable, inclusive and lasting peace and we count on the support of partners like Türkiye.” Sybiha estimated the economy of Ukraine after the war and concluded that the daily cost of the war reached USD 220 million, and also pointed on the three to five per cent growth in the economy rate, stabilising the inflation and a hike in the defence production capacity of Ukraine.
References
“Ukraine pounds Kursk with drones, killing one and injuring nine, Russia says,” Reuters, 15 April 2025
Loorne Cook, “Russia claims its deadly attack on Ukraine’s Sumy targeted military forces as condemnation grows,” AP News, 15 April 2025
“Kremlin spokesman says Russia, US make good progress in re-establishing relations,” TASS, 13 April 2025
John Silk, “Germany's Merz says Sumy attack 'war crime' by Russia,” Deutsche Welle, 14 April 2025
James Wterhouse, Jackson, “Zelensky urges Trump to visit Ukraine before deal with Russia,” BBC, 14 April 2025
“Türkiye set to host key meeting on Black Sea security,” Daily Sabah, 13 April 2025
“Germany is open to sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine, says Merz,” Euro News, 14 April 2025
Axel Boada, “Russian Strike on Ukrainian City Kills and Wounds Dozens,” The New York Times, 13 April 2025