Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks throughout a joint press convention with Netherlands’ Prime Minister Dick Schoof in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Monday.
Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
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Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
KYIV, Ukraine — Two Russian ballistic missiles struck a navy coaching facility and close by hospital in a central-eastern area of Ukraine, killing a minimum of 41 folks and wounding 180 others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Tuesday.
The strike occurred within the metropolis of Poltava, the capital of the area of the identical identify, officers mentioned. Poltava is situated about 350 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Kyiv. The town is on the principle freeway and rail route between Kyiv and Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis, Kharkiv, which is near the Russian border.
The strike gave the impression to be one of many deadliest carried out by Russian forces for the reason that conflict started greater than 900 days in the past on Feb. 24, 2022.
“One of the buildings of the (Poltava Military) Institute of Communications was partially destroyed. People found themselves under the rubble. Many were saved,” Zelenskyy mentioned in a video posted on his Telegram channel.
“All necessary services are involved in the rescue operation,” he added. He mentioned he had ordered “a full and prompt investigation” into what occurred. Zelenskyy did not present any additional particulars.
The missiles hit shortly after the air raid alert sounded, when many individuals have been on their strategy to a bomb shelter, Ukraine’s Protection Ministry mentioned, describing the strike as “barbaric.”
Rescue crews and medics saved 25 folks, 11 of them dug out from the rubble, a Protection Ministry assertion mentioned.
Poltava Gov. Filip Pronin introduced three days of mourning beginning on Wednesday.
“A great tragedy for Poltava region and entire Ukraine,” Pronin wrote on his Telegram web page. “The enemy certainly must answer for all (its) crimes against humanity,” he mentioned.
The strike got here on the day that Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Mongolia. There was no indication that his hosts would heed calls for to arrest him on a global warrant for alleged conflict crimes.
Zelenskyy repeated his attraction for Ukraine’s Western companions to make sure swift supply of navy support. He has beforehand chided the U.S. and European international locations for being sluggish to make good on their pledges of assist.
He additionally needs them to ease restrictions on what Ukraine can goal on Russian soil with the weapons they supply. Some international locations worry that hitting Russia may escalate the conflict.
“Ukraine needs air defense systems and missiles now, not sitting in storage,” Zelenskyy wrote in English on Telegram.
“Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not later. Every day of delay, unfortunately, means more lost lives,” he mentioned.
