Russian missile strike on Poltava with dozens of casualties: Details of tragedy

Contents

• Key points about the missile strike on Poltava
• Casualties and injuries
• Rescue operation under threat of repeated shelling
• Criminal proceedings opened
• Government reaction

Key points about the missile strike on Poltava

Shortly after 9 AM (Kyiv time) on September 3, several explosions were heard in Poltava. A few minutes before this, an air raid alert was issued in the region, with the Air Force warning about a missile heading towards Poltava.

The first details of the tragedy emerged a few hours later.

According to the Ministry of Defense, Russian forces attacked the city with two ballistic missiles. The time between the alarm and the missile impact was so short that it caught people in the midst of evacuating to bomb shelters.

Photo: rescue operation after the missile strike in Poltava (poltava.to)

There was a strike on the territory of an educational institution and a nearby hospital, with one of the buildings of the Communication Institute also partially damaged. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this in his address.

The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, noted that a residential area is located near the impact site. The blast wave shattered windows and damaged facades in the apartment buildings.

An operational headquarters was deployed in Poltava, and an emergency meeting of the city's Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergencies was held. Preliminary information indicates that more than 10 residential buildings were damaged.

Casualties and injuries

As of 02:20 PM (Kyiv time), it was reported that 41 people had been killed and 180 injured as a result of the attack. The head of state announced these figures and added that many people were trapped under the rubble.

The Ministry of Defense released information stating that 25 people were saved, 11 of whom were extricated from the rubble, thanks to the coordinated efforts of rescuers and medical personnel. Rescue operations are ongoing.

(Updated 5:00 PM): First Lady Olena Zelenska reported that the number of casualties has reached 47, with 206 people injured as a result of the missile attack on Poltava.

(Updated 6:15 PM): Head of Poltava Regional State Administration, Filip Pronin, reported 49 dead and 219 injured as a result of the Russian strike on Poltava.

(Updated 7:02 PM): The Office of the Prosecutor General reported that the strike on Poltava caused the deaths of 51 people.

(Updated 8:05 PM): State Emergency Service of Ukraine spokesperson Oleksandr Khorunzhyi announced that the number of injured has increased to 271 and the death toll to 50. He emphasized that these figures are preliminary and are subject to change.

Rescue operation under threat of repeated shelling

Debris removal efforts have been ongoing since the morning, but work must be suspended due to the threat of further Russian missile attacks.

According to State Emergency Service of Ukraine spokesperson Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, additional units have been deployed to the site. The operation involves 50 pieces of equipment, 220 rescuers, and search dogs. Silence is declared every 15-20 minutes to listen for people trapped under the debris.

Rescuers are withdrawn from the site during air alerts as the Russian army may carry out additional strikes. A corresponding protocol has been developed.

Work will continue through the night. Rescuers will keep working until all individuals are rescued or found, Khorunzhyi stated.

Photo: An operational headquarters has been established in Poltava to deal with the aftermath of the attack (poltava.to)

As Deputy Serhii Kaplin told the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel, all operating rooms are occupied with casualties from the morning shelling. Doctors are performing surgeries non-stop on all the injured.

According to the deputy, constant air alerts throughout the day have complicated the rescue operation and debris removal.

"The tragic situation was that Russia, in the first few minutes after the strike, attempted to destabilize the situation by provoking alarms and thus literally 'removing' people and State Emergency Service workers from the site," Kaplin said.

Criminal proceedings opened

According to RBC-Ukraine sources, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has opened criminal proceedings regarding the missile strike on the training center in Poltava.

However, the specific article under which the case was initiated has not yet been disclosed.

(Updated 7:03 PM): According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, a pre-trial investigation has been initiated regarding the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and inviolability.

(Updated 8:05 PM): The Armed Forces of Ukraine have begun an investigation to determine whether adequate measures were taken to protect the Institute of Communications. Specifically, the investigation aims to clarify:

• Whether the management of the institution was properly handled given the constant missile threat;
• What measures were taken to ensure the safety and health of military personnel at the site.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that the Military Law Enforcement Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been involved in the investigation. Additionally, the Main Inspection of the Ministry of Defense will also examine the circumstances of the tragedy.

Government reaction

Following the strike on Poltava, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed a thorough and prompt investigation into all circumstances surrounding the incident.

"All necessary services are involved in the rescue operation. I am grateful to everyone who has been helping people and saving lives from the first moments after the strike. The Russian bastards will definitely answer for this attack. And we keep telling everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: air defense systems and missiles for them are needed in Ukraine, not in a warehouse somewhere," he stated.

In his address, the President once again emphasized that Ukraine needs approval from partners to carry out long-range strikes with Western weapons on Russia, which could protect against Russian terror. He stressed that this needs to happen "now, not sometime later."

"Every day of delay unfortunately leads to the loss of lives. Eternal memory to all whose lives have been taken by Russia!" Zelenskyy added.

The head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration, Filip Pronin, has declared a three-day mourning period in the region (September 4-6) following a deadly Russian attack.

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine expressed condolences to the families of the victims. "This tragedy is further evidence of the enemy's treachery, as they do not hesitate to commit any crimes in an attempt to intimidate Ukrainians," the statement from the ministry reads.

Sources: posts on Telegram by the Head of Poltava Regional State Administration Filip Pronin, the Ministry of Defense, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, materials by Poltavshchyna, Suspilne. Poltava, statements by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and comments by State Emergency Service spokesperson Oleksandr Khorunzhyi during a telethon.