The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee (OPAC) has strongly condemned a deadly Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, describing the Palm Sunday assault as a “brutal and disgraceful act” that desecrated a sacred Christian day.
In an official statement, the global Orthodox Christian advocacy group decried the violence that shattered what should have been a day of peace, prayer, and spiritual reflection marking the beginning of Holy Week.
“This was not only an act of war; it was an act of desecration,” OPAC declared, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of civilian lives—many of them Orthodox Christians—who had gathered for worship.
According to Ukrainian officials, the missile strike killed over 30 people and injured more than 100, turning the holy occasion into a day of terror.
“On the very day Christ was welcomed into Jerusalem with palms and cries of Hosanna, Russia rained down death on its own spiritual kin,” the committee lamented.
Calling the strike “a sin against both God and humanity,” OPAC condemned the ongoing war as a moral collapse and “fratricide,” especially coming from a regime that often cloaks its actions in religious rhetoric.
The committee criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing to present himself as a defender of traditional values, “while ordering the deaths of innocent men, women, and children.”
Calling on political leaders and people of faith to take action, OPAC emphasized, “Thoughts and prayers for the innocent victims of this brutal war must be met with action… The world cannot afford another day of delay while the innocent continue to suffer.”
Similarly, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed alarm over the Palm Sunday attack, calling it part of a “devastating pattern” of strikes on civilian areas in Ukraine.
In a statement released by UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres reiterated that attacks on civilians are prohibited under international humanitarian law and must cease immediately.
The Secretary-General renewed his call for a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution that fully respects Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, have all condemned the attack, voicing solidarity with the Ukrainian people amid ongoing aggression.
Comments