Two Russian ballistic missiles hit Poltava, killing 59 injuring 328 people (updated)
Russians killed at least 59 civilians and injured 328 people, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Many people are under the rubble. It is the deadliest single attack on Ukraine this year.
Zelenskyy stated the missiles hit the “territory of an educational institution and a nearby hospital.” One of the buildings of the Institute of Communications was partially destroyed. Ukraine’s armed forces confirmed soldiers were among those killed.
An investigation will be conducted to determine whether enough was done to protect the “life and health of soldiers on-site.” The issued statement adds that “secure personnel” measures will be strengthened.
“The time interval between the air-raid warning and the strike of the missiles was so short that it caught people at the moment of evacuation to the bomb shelter,” the press service of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported. The attack on Poltava is believed to have been launched from Russian-occupied Crimea.
The Russian Federation uses temporarily occupied Crimea as a military foothold for its military aggression from the south of Ukraine, shelling Ukrainian cities from the peninsula. Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly stated the importance of de-occupying the Crimean Peninsula.
Ukraine denies Russian claimed that the missiles hit a military parade at the institute.
Three days of mourning have been declared in Poltava, regional leader Philip Pronin said.
According to BBC News, the White House condemned Russia’s strike on Poltava, saying it showed the need to urgently strengthen Kyiv’s air defences.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters the strike is “another horrific reminder” of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s “brutality towards the people of Ukraine.” Previously, ZMINA reported that the majority of Ukrainians see no distinction between the Russian government and people in war responsibility.
Additionally, Russians launched an airstrike on a university building in Sumy on the evening of September 3, 2024, according to the Sumy Oblast Military Administration and Sumy media outlet Kordon.Media.
A local media outlet has posted a photo of the damage to the university. The building is part of Sumy State University.
Moreover, the Russian military attacked the village of Sadove in the Kherson Oblast on the morning of September 3, killing a 67-year-old man in his own home and injuring a 62-year-old woman, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram.
Prokudin reported that the Russians attacked residential buildings in the City of Kherson in the early hours of September 3, resulting in severe injuries to a 14-year-old girl. The teenager was diagnosed with traumatic shock, an open chest wound, and fractures of her arms and legs.
“The child is still in the operating theatre. The doctors are doing everything possible to save her life,” Prokudin added.
On the evening of September 2, Russians attacked Zaporizhzhia, killing two people, including an 8-year-old boy, and injuring two others, according to Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration on Telegram.
Fedorov added that a building was partially destroyed as a result of the Russian strike. The blast wave and debris damaged the nearby multi-storey buildings.
Zelenskyy asked Western partners for more air defense systems and missiles to strike deep into Russian territory to prevent missile attacks like the one on Poltava.
“We are telling everyone in the world who has strength, again and again, that to stop this terror, air defence systems and missiles for them are needed in Ukraine, not at a warehouse somewhere. Long-range strikes, which can protect from Russian terror, are needed now, not sometime later. Every day of procrastination, unfortunately, means deaths of our people,” the Ukrainian president said.
The United States refuses to hand over the Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine.
While Russian missiles were landing in Ukraine, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin was on a state visit to Mongolia, marking the 85th anniversary of the victory by Mongolian and Soviet forces over Japan.
Vladimir Putin in MonlgoliaAs a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Mongolia did not execute the arrest warrant for Putin, who the ICC wants for the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.
