Editor’s note: The story is being updated.
Russian forces launched two ballistic missiles against the city of Poltava on Sep. 3, killing at least 41 and injuring over 180 people, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported.
An educational institution and a neighboring medical facility were hit in the attack, which also partially destroyed the building of the Military Institute of Communications, according to Zelensky.
“The time interval between the alarm and the arrival of the deadly missiles was so short that it caught people during an evacuation to the bomb shelter,” the Defense Ministry said.
Many people remain trapped under the rubble, while rescuers and medics continue to work at the scene. As of around 2 p.m. local time, the emergency services had rescued 25 people, 11 of whom were retrieved from the rubble, according to the ministry’s statement.
“We express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims. This tragedy is yet another evidence of the enemy’s cunning, which stops at no crime to try to intimidate Ukrainians,” the ministry said.
“We urge everyone to remain calm and trust only official sources of information. Any speculation on this tragedy is unacceptable.”
Zelensky said he had instructed an operational investigation into the circumstances of the attack on Poltava.
Poltava Oblast is located in central Ukraine and is a regularly target of Russian drone and missile attacks.
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