At least 41 people were killed and over 180 injured when Russia struck a military academy in Poltava, eastern Ukraine, at midday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He said Russian forces targeted the building of the Military Institute of Communications with missiles in one of the deadliest attacks since the war began in February 2022.
Poltava is about 110 km from the Russian border and roughly 350 km southeast of Kyiv.
One of the buildings at the Military Institute of Communications in Poltava was partially destroyed. People were trapped under the rubble. Many were rescued,” Zelenskyy said in a video posted to his Telegram channel. “All necessary services are involved in the rescue operation,” he added. He ordered a “full and immediate investigation” into the incident but provided no further details.
Rescue teams have saved 25 people, including 11 who were trapped under the rubble, and are continuing to search for survivors. The missiles struck after an air raid alert, as many people were heading to shelters, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, which called the attack “barbaric.”
