Russian missiles and drones pounded Ukraine’s western city of Lviv in a brutal dawn attack today, killing at least seven people and leaving dozens injured.
Sitting less than 40 miles from the Polish border, Lviv has largely escaped the brunt of two and a half years of war.
But this morning’s barrage by Russia‘s armed forces battered residential buildings with emergency teams discovering the bodies of three children among the dead.
Horrific images circulated on social media this morning showed bewildered victims staggering away from the scene of missile blasts covered in blood and dust as rescuers dragged corpses out of the rubble on makeshift stretchers.
At least 35 people were injured in the indiscriminate attack, according to city mayor Andrii Sadovyi, with the death toll expected to rise sharply.
The attack on Lviv comes just one day after Ukraine suffered one of the most devastating single attacks of the entire war when two Russian missiles scored a direct hit on a military academy and a nearby hospital in the city of Poltava.
At least 51 people were killed and close to 300 injured in the punishing explosions that tore into the heart of the Poltava Military Institute of Communication’s main building, causing several stories to collapse.
Some 15 people are still believed to be trapped under the debris, with time running out to save them.
In the wake of the attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to ‘hold the Russian scum accountable’ and yet again implored Kyiv‘s US and European partners to help with air defences and allow long-range strikes into Russia.
An injured man walks with paramedics after getting rescued from a residential building damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine September 4, 2024
A drone view shows a residential building heavily damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine September 4, 2024
A view shows a burning residential building damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine September 4, 2024
A view shows a burning residential building damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine September 4, 2024
A police officer and emergency workers carry an injured person rescued from a residential building damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine September 4, 2024
Rescuers work at the site of a residential building damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine September 4, 2024
In his nightly video address delivered later than usual yesterday amid the fallout of the attacks in Poltava, Zelensky spoke about rescue efforts and warned that the death toll could increase as rescuers comb through the debris of the military institute.
‘It is known that there are people under the rubble of the destroyed building,’ he said. ‘Everything is being done to save as many lives as possible.’
Ukrainian officials have not yet specified how many of the victims were civilians or from the armed forces, but the attack was a major blow to Kyiv as it tries to bolster its ranks to hold off a more powerful enemy.
‘The Land Forces Command is conducting an investigation to determine whether enough was done to protect the lives and health of the soldiers at the facility,’ a statement said.
Air raid sirens were sounded in Poltava ahead of the strike, but Russia’s use of ballistic missiles – which hit targets hundreds of kilometres away within a few minutes of their launch – meant the victims had very little time to find cover, the foreign ministry said.
‘This is a stunning tragedy for all of Ukraine. The enemy hit an educational institution and a hospital,’ Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, wrote on X.
Some Ukrainians left worried messages on the institute’s Facebook page seeking information about their loved ones.
‘One of the institute’s buildings was partially destroyed, and many people were trapped under the rubble,’ the defence ministry said on Telegram.
‘Thanks to the coordinated work of rescuers and medics, 25 people were rescued, 11 of whom were taken from the rubble. The rescuers are currently continuing their work.’
US President Joe Biden vowed Washington would continue military aid to Kyiv, ‘including providing the air defence systems and capabilities they need to protect their country’, but made no mention of allowing long-range strikes into Russia.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the attack on Poltava a ‘sickening act of aggression’, while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the brutality of Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘knows no limits’.
A drone view shows residential buildings heavily damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv
A general view shows a residential building and burning cars damaged during Russian missile and drone strikes, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Lviv
A rescuer walks along cars damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine September 4
Polish and allied aircraft were forced to scramble for the third time in eight days to ensure the safety of Polish airspace amid this morning’s strike on Lviv, which sits less than 40 miles from the border
Poltava’s Governor Pronin said yesterday that about 150 residents had donated blood to help treat the wounded.
Defence Ministry spokesman Dmytro Lazutkin told national TV that classes at the institute were underway at the time of the attack in Poltava.
He said the alarm sounded at just after 9am local time, prompting people to rush to the shelter.
‘A few minutes after the air alert, explosions sounded,’ he said, adding that there were no parades going on at the time.
Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attack on Poltava, but Moscow in recent weeks has intensified its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine after two and a half years of war.
Last week Ukraine was pummelled with the heaviest bombardment to date, and on Monday ballistic and cruise missiles targeted Kyiv causing loud explosions.
In response to last week’s incessant strikes, Ukraine sought to hit back with more than 158 drones over the weekend.
The attack successfully damaged an oil refinery near Moscow and a power station, but the majority of the drones were downed by Russian air defences.
Fighting on the ground has also intensified over the past month, with Russian forces advancing in eastern Ukraine while Kyiv’s troops continue their large-scale cross-border assault into Russia’s Kursk region.
A police officer and emergency workers carry an injured person rescued from a residential building damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine September 4, 2024
Smoke rises as firefighters extinguish a fire on a car damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv
People are seen picking through the rubble after a Russian ballistic missile strike in Poltava
Several stories of the military institute and a nearby hospital in Poltava collapsed
Air raid sirens were sounded in Poltava ahead of the strike, but Russia’s use of ballistic missiles – which hit targets hundreds of kilometres away within a few minutes of their launch – meant the victims had very little time to find cover
Polish and allied aircraft were forced to scramble for the third time in eight days to ensure the safety of Polish airspace amid this morning’s strike on Lviv, the Operational Command of the Polish armed forces said.
‘This is another very busy night for the entire air defence system in Poland due to the observed activity of the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation carrying out strikes,’ the Command said on X.
Zelensky yesterday repeated calls for more Western air defences and urged allies to allow their long-range weapons to be used for strikes deeper into Russian territory.
‘We keep telling everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: Air defence systems and missiles are needed in Ukraine, not in a warehouse somewhere.
‘Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not some time later. Unfortunately, every day of delay means loss of life.’
The fatal strikes on Ukraine also come at a time of political upheaval.
Zelensky last week said he was set to reshuffle his cabinet, while the head of his party in parliament said Tuesday that half of the current ministers were likely to be replaced.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba tendered his resignation this morning hours after four other officials stepped down from their positions.
Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Olga Stefanishyna; Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin – who has played a prominent role in boosting arms production – Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska, and Minister of the Environment Ruslan Strilets all submitted their resignation yesterday.