Russia defends attack

RUSSIA has claimed its deadly missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy at the weekend that killed and wounded scores of people, including children, had targeted a gathering of Ukrainian troops, as European leaders condemned the assault as a war crime.

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Ukrainian officials said two ballistic missiles struck the heart of Sumy, a city about 18 miles away from Ukraine's border with Russia, as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, killing at least 34, including two children, and injuring 119 others. It was the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in Ukraine in just over a week.

When questioned about the incident, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's forces only strike military targets.