Thanuja Jayani, JadeTimes Staff
T. Jayani is a JadeTimes news reporter covering Europe
A Russian missile strike on Poltava, Ukraine, has resulted in the deaths of at least 51 people and left 271 others injured. The attack targeted a military academy and a nearby hospital. Ukraine's land forces have confirmed that some of the casualties were military personnel. According to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, there was insufficient time for people to reach bomb shelters after the air raid alarm sounded.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed retribution against those responsible for what he described as an act of aggression by "Russian scum" and has reiterated calls for enhanced air defenses to enable Ukraine to conduct its own long range missile strikes. Moscow has yet to comment on the incident.
Witnesses reported that the force of the impact blew out windows in nearby buildings. Mykyta Petrov, a 26 year old cadet at the Poltava Military Communications Institute who had been there for only two weeks, recounted the attack, noting that the second missile struck just three seconds after the first, causing widespread chaos and casualties.
Initial reports from Russian military bloggers suggested that cadets were assembled for a military parade at the institute, but this was later confirmed as inaccurate by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Alarms sounded at 09:08 local time, with the missiles hitting shortly afterward.
Jana Kulishova, a 30 year old local resident, was unable to reach a shelter and expressed personal anguish, noting that her husband is fighting on the front line in Donbas. Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko criticized the two minute gap between the alarm and the strike as insufficient for a safe evacuation.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has launched an investigation to determine whether adequate measures were in place to protect the facility, and additional safety protocols for military sites will be implemented. Firefighters and military personnel have been working at the scene to manage the aftermath, with access restricted due to the sensitivity of the site.
Poltava regional governor Philip Pronin denounced the attack as "cunning and cynical" and reported that 15 people might still be trapped under the rubble. Ten residential buildings were also damaged. In response, Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska and President Zelensky condemned the attack, emphasizing the need for stronger air defenses. International leaders, including UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US President Joe Biden, have condemned the strike, with Biden calling it a "deplorable attack" and reaffirming support for Ukraine.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized President Putin's actions, while Ukrainian MP Maria Bezugla accused Ukrainian officials of negligence in protecting soldiers. Recent developments include the resignation of the Ukrainian minister in charge of weapons reduction and anticipated significant changes within the Ukrainian government, with potential appointments and sackings imminent. The attack on Poltava coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Mongolia, his first trip to an International Criminal Court member country since it issued an arrest warrant for him last year.
Poltava, located in central Ukraine with a pre-war population of approximately 300,000, is situated 300 kilometers east of Kyiv and is home to the Poltava Military Communications Institute, which trains telecommunications specialists.
