Toll in Russian strike on Ukraine’s Poltava rises to 55

Ukrainian soldiers wait outside a military educational facility after it was attacked by Russian missiles, in Poltava, eastern Ukraine, on September 3, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. | ​​Photo credit: AFP

Death toll from Russian missile attack The death toll from the terrorist attacks in the Ukrainian city of Poltava has risen to 55 and more than 300 people have been injured, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday (September 5, 2024).

According to Ukrainian officials, the Poltava military communications institute was attacked on Tuesday (September 5, 2024), although they did not say how many of the victims were military or civilian.

On Tuesday (September 5, 2024), the official death toll in the same blast was reported to be 51. It was the deadliest attack of the two-and-a-half year war.

“Poltava – the death toll in a Russian missile attack on an educational institution in the city has risen to 55. 328 people are injured,” Ukrainian emergency services said.

It said people may still be trapped under the rubble two days after two ballistic missiles struck the central Ukrainian city.

The attack sparked widespread condemnation, including in Washington, which described it as “yet another horrific reminder of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s brutality”.

The event also drew criticism in Ukraine as unconfirmed reports suggested the target of the attacks was an outdoor military ceremony. Many commentators blamed the authorities for allowing the event to take place despite the threat of attacks.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the attack.

Russia said the missile attack it launched on the Ukrainian city of Poltava targeted a “training centre” of the Ukrainian military and that the attack had achieved its “objectives”.