The Ukrainian Community of Queensland joins Ukrainians around the world in mourning the innocent lives lost in Russia’s latest acts of terror.
On Palm Sunday, April 13 — a day that should symbolise peace and renewal — a brutal missile strike levelled homes and buildings in the Ukrainian city of Sumy. Thirty-two people were killed, including two innocent children. Ninety-nine more were wounded, among them 11 children whose lives will never be the same.
This atrocity followed just days after another savage attack on Kryvyi Rih, where residential areas, a school, and a hospital were targeted by Russian missiles. At least 11 people were killed and over 40 injured. Emergency workers described the scenes as apocalyptic — a school in flames, shattered hospital windows, bloodied children being pulled from rubble.
These are not military targets. These are deliberate assaults on civilian life. These are war crimes.
Russia continues to show the world that it does not want peace. It does not want Ukraine to survive. These attacks are designed to terrorise — to break the will of the Ukrainian people.
But this will not happen.
“We will not let the world look away,” said Peter Bongiorni, President of the Ukrainian Community of Queensland. “These atrocities must not be allowed to fade into the background of global headlines. The people of Ukraine need more than sympathy — they need justice, protection, and unwavering support. Russia must be held accountable.”
We stand united in our grief, our anger, and our determination. We honour the victims of Sumy and Kryvyi Rih. We speak their names. And we call on the Australian Government and international partners to act decisively — not just with words, but with meaningful support for Ukraine and consequences for Russia.
Ukraine will endure. Its people will endure. And we, as a global Ukrainian community, will never stop demanding justice.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Peter Bongiorni | President, Ukrainian Community of Queensland Inc.
[email protected]