At least 51 people lost their lives and 271 others were injured following a devastating Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Poltava.
The attack targeted a military academy and a nearby hospital, with Ukraine’s land forces confirming that military personnel were among those killed.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence reported that the short time between the air raid alarm and the impact left many without the opportunity to seek shelter.
In response, President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed that those responsible, whom he referred to as “Russian scum,” would face consequences.
He also reiterated his calls for increased air defense capabilities to enable Ukraine to carry out its own long-range missile strikes. Moscow has yet to comment on the attack.
Local residents described the devastating impact of the strike, with some reporting shattered windows from the force of the explosions.
Mykyta Petrov, a 26-year-old cadet who had just begun his training at the Poltava Military Communications Institute two weeks prior, recounted the terrifying moments after the missiles hit.
“I ran outside, there was smoke and dust everywhere…lots of people were outside having a cigarette, and many were killed…” he said. The trauma of witnessing the carnage, he admitted, has left a lasting psychological impact, with “too much blood, too many dead bodies.”
Contrary to early reports from Russian military bloggers suggesting a parade was taking place, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence confirmed no such event was happening at the time of the strike.
The air raid alarms sounded at 09:08 local time, with explosions following just minutes later.
One of the survivors, 30-year-old Jana Kulishova, was roused from sleep by the alarm but couldn’t reach a shelter in time. Her husband, who is currently fighting on the front lines in the Donbas region, made the attack personal for her.
“Soldiers have died here and I know there are still soldiers still under the rubble. Their wives are waiting for them,” she said, expressing the deep personal toll of the attack.
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko criticized the short time between the siren and the impact, emphasizing how unrealistic it is to reach safety in such a brief window.
“You just imagine you’re on the sixth floor of some building and you need to run away downstairs. Is it realistic that you can do this in two minutes?” he asked. “Just imagine this life and like this several times per day. We can’t continue like this. It’s just not fair.”
An investigation is now underway to determine whether adequate measures were in place to protect those in the facility.
The Ukrainian land forces confirmed that additional safety protocols would be implemented at military sites across the country.
On the ground, rescue teams are still working to clear the rubble, with 15 people believed to be trapped.
Poltava regional governor Philip Pronin described the strike as a “cunning and cynical Russian strike,” and noted that 10 residential buildings were also damaged in the attack.
First Lady Olena Zelenska condemned the attack as a “stunning tragedy for all of Ukraine,” adding that “Russia is taking away the most valuable thing from us – life.”
President Zelensky, in a video posted on the Ukrainian presidential website, assured that Russia would be held accountable for the attack and called for a “full and prompt” investigation. He stressed the need for long-range air defense systems, warning that “every day of delay, unfortunately, means more lost lives.”
International condemnation followed, with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy denouncing the “sickening act of aggression” and US President Joe Biden calling the strike “a tragic reminder of Putin’s ongoing and outrageous attempts to break the will of a free people.” Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also spoke out, highlighting President Putin’s “brutality.”
The attack has led to internal criticism within Ukraine, with MP Maria Bezugla questioning the military leadership’s actions, asking, “These tragedies keep repeating themselves. When will it stop?” In the wake of the attack, the minister responsible for weapons reduction resigned, and senior lawmaker David Arakhamia hinted at a forthcoming “major government reset,” suggesting that over half of the ministers might be replaced.
The missile strike on Poltava, a city with a pre-war population of 300,000 located 300 kilometers east of Kyiv, coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Mongolia, his first to an ICC member state since the court issued an arrest warrant against him last year.
The Poltava military communications institute, founded in the 1960s during Ukraine’s time as part of the USSR, has long been a key training ground for telecommunications specialists.
