CBS television broadcast, “60 Minutes”, released an episode covering one of the largest and deadliest Russian attacks on Sumy, which took place on 13 April 2025, Palm Sunday.
The episode details the strike, which involved two Iskander missiles launched at the very centre of the city, resulting in significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction. According to official data, 32 civilians were killed and 145 wounded. The attack caused severe damage to educational, cultural, religious, residential, and other civilian infrastructure.
The attack is widely remembered for the horrific scene of a burning bus, in which 16 civilians were killed, as well as for the death of Olena Kohut, a well-known Sumy artist, orchestra musician, and music teacher, who was near the Sumy Regional Philharmonic at the moment of the strike.
Vitalii Dovhal, the Head of the War Crime Unit of the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office, believes that the use of such a powerful and precise weapon in the very centre of the city — on a major religious holiday when the streets were filled with people — appears to be a disproportionate attack and reflects Russia’s attempts to terrorise Sumy’s civilian population. He added that the joint efforts of Sumy prosecutors and investigators have already led to significant progress in the case, including the identification of Russian military units and their commanders allegedly responsible for the strike.
Global Rights Compliance provides legal support to the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office in the investigation of the Palm Sunday attack. GRC’s lawyers and military specialists conduct a comprehensive legal analysis of the circumstances of the strike, supported by open-source research. Vitalii Dovgal added that, “GRC’s assistance contributes significantly to ensuring the correct legal qualification of the attack and to determining the potential liability of those involved.”
GRC MJTs operate as part of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA). The ACA is a multilateral initiative established by the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States to support and assist Ukrainian law enforcement and prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting international crimes committed during a full-scale war.