KYIV: At least 51 people were killed and 235 wounded when Russia struck a military institute in Ukraine’s central town of Poltava with two ballistic missiles on Tuesday, the war’s deadliest single attack this year. Photographs posted on social media showed several bodies of young men on the ground covered in dust and debris, with the badly damaged side of a large building behind them. Reuters could not immediately verify the images. “The Russian scum will definitely be held accountable for this strike,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app.

He ordered a full and prompt investigation, saying the strike damaged a building of the Military Institute of Communications. A further 15 people may still be under the rubble, according to Poltava regional governor Filip Pronin. “Every 15-20 minutes there are ‘minutes of silence’ to listen out for people who are under the rubble,” Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, press officer of the emergency services, said in televised comments.

Officials did not immediately disclose the identity of the victims, but Ukrainian military bloggers suggested some might be cadets or mobilized men undergoing training. Serhiy Beskrestnov, a blogger specializing in communications and electronic warfare, posted a tribute to “my signals operator comrades”.

The use of ballistic missiles — which hit targets hundreds of kilometers away within a few minutes of their launch — meant the victims had little time to find cover after the air raid siren sounded, 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 defense 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.” Russia did not immediately comment on the attack.

Increase in missile strikes

Russia has intensified its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine two-and-a-half years into the full-scale war. Last week Ukraine was pummeled with the heaviest bombardment to date, and on Monday ballistic and cruise missiles targeted Kyiv causing loud explosions. Ukraine also targeted Russia with more than 158 drones at the weekend, damaging an oil refinery near Moscow and a power station.

Fighting has intensified over the past month, with Russian forces advancing in eastern Ukraine, while Kyiv’s troops have mounted their first large-scale cross-border assault into Russia. Moscow has vowed to retaliate for the incursion into the Kursk region.

Zelensky repeated his calls for more Western air defenses and urged allies to allow their long-range weapons to be used for strikes deeper into Russian territory in order to protect Ukraine. “We keep telling everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: air defense 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.”

In Poltava, some 300 km (186 miles) southeast of Kyiv and 120 km to the nearest Russian border, governor Pronin said about 150 residents had donated blood for the wounded. Local authorities announced three days of mourning. Defense Ministry spokesman Dmytro Lazutkin told national TV that classes at the institute were underway at the time of the attack. He said the alarm sounded at 09:08 local time (0608 GMT) prompting people to rush the shelter. “A few minutes after the air alert, explosions sounded,” he said, adding that there were no parades going on at the time. — Reuters