The Russians fired two ballistic missiles at the city. One of them partially destroyed the building used by the Poltava Military Communications Institute, while the other rocket hit the adjacent hospital.
“People were found under the rubble. Many were rescued,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on his Telegram channel, noting that he had ordered “a full and quick investigation.”
Currently, it is estimated that 18 more people could be under the rubble.
Journalists are not allowed on the territory of the institute, but scattered bricks and pools of blood can be seen everywhere. For several hours after the rocket attack, the smell of smoke wafted through the city, and the streets were littered with glass shards from broken windows.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that there was such a short period of time between the announcement of the air alert and the rocket explosions that people did not have time to get to the bomb shelters.
Meanwhile, addressing the Western allies, Zelenskiy once again pointed out that in order to stop Russian terror, Ukraine needs anti-aircraft artillery systems and their missiles, which are still lying unused in the warehouses of Western countries.
He also emphasized once again that Kyiv finally needs permission to use Western weapons for long-range strikes on Russian territory, from where Russian terrorists launch missiles into Ukraine.
All of the above is “necessary now, not sometime later,” Zelensky emphasized. “Every day of delay is unfortunately a loss of life.”
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2024-09-03 20:29:13