Czech officials condemn Russian missile strike on Sumy

Czech top officials have condemned Russia's deadly missile strike on Ukraine's northeastern city of Sumy, which left at least thirty people dead and over a hundred wounded.

President Pavel said he was appalled by the attack on civilian targets that claimed dozens of innocent victims, including children. “Russia started this war senselessly, Russia is consistently committing war crimes, Russia is stalling negotiations and doing everything it can to keep the conflict going," Pavel said. "There is no better proof that Putin is not serious about achieving peace. And there is no better proof that it cannot be achieved without more pressure on Russia," he added.

“Another deliberate Russian attack on a civilian target in a war that Russia has waged for more than three years. Innocent people are dying every day. Russia's imperialist policy threatens the security of the whole of Europe. The war was provoked by Russia and we must do our utmost to ensure that it ends and that Russia's aggressive policy does not succeed," Prime Minister Petr Fiala wrote on X. He added that the Czech Republic was working tirelessly with allies in the Coalition of the Willing, a group of countries negotiating further support for Ukraine, led mainly by Britain and France.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky reacted to the news from Osaka, Japan, where he attended the opening of EXPPO 2025. The Czech foreign minister said his thoughts and sympathies were with the families of the victims of this brutal attack. "Russia is run by murderers who prove every day that they do not want peace. The Czech Republic is standing by Ukraine," he wrote.