Russia's deadly Poltava attack: bombs target military academy and hospital

Russia has carried out one of its deadliest attacks against Ukraine this year. It happened on Tuesday, September 3, and the target was the city of Poltava, some 340 kilometers from kyiv. A military academy and a hospital adjacent to this institution were hit by two ballistic missiles and the dead and wounded number in the dozens and hundreds.

France 24 reported that at least 51 people were killed in the attack and more than 200 injured. Regional governor Filip Pronine added hours after the attack that "up to 18 people could still be under the rubble."

In a video on Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: "One of the buildings of the Institute of Communications (the military academy that was attacked) was partially destroyed. People were trapped under the rubble. Many were saved."

Not only was the cadet academy damaged, but also a nearby hospital and up to 10 homes.

According to Euronews, the impacts were felt shortly after the air raid warning was sounded. Many people were heading for an air raid shelter but did not have time to reach safety, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said, describing the attack as "barbaric".

"All necessary services are involved in the rescue operation," Zelensky said on Telegram. He also said he had ordered a "full and prompt investigation" into what happened.

It was not only Poltava that suffered from Russian punishment. Pictured here is Lviv after a bombardment by Putin's troops. Both Lviv (also known as Leopolis in English) and Poltava are cities that are not on the front line. Amnesty International warned in 2022 that Ukraine was establishing military bases in densely populated areas, far from the front, and that this was putting civilian lives at risk.

Ukrainian defence news outlet Militarnyi reported that civilians were also studying at the military institute attacked by Russia in Poltava.

The Poltava attack was soon met with domestic criticism for possible negligence. Several Western media outlets claim that many in the country have blamed the Ukrainian military leadership for allowing so many soldiers to be concentrated in a single building. Pictured here, a woman cries after the Russian attack on Lviv.

For Zelensky, however, the attack could have been avoided if the West had provided more anti-aircraft defense systems and if the United States had not banned the use of long-range missiles against Russia.

Ukraine's advance in its invasion of the Kursk region and other Russian territories has provoked a brutal response from Moscow in the form of ferocious bombings.

According to estimates by various Western media, since August 26, Moscow has launched more than 200 missiles and drones that hit 15 targets in Ukrainian territory.

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