Russian missile strikes on Poltava leave 51 dead and 200 injured
Russians hit Poltava. Two ballistic missiles fell on the Ukrainian city. "There was an alarm, and literally a minute passed before one or two explosions occurred. All the windows were broken, including in the stairwell," said Olena in an interview with Suspilne.
According to the latest reports, at least 51 people died in the Tuesday attack, and more than 200 were injured. However, this number is still increasing, as a rescue operation has been ongoing at the site for several hours.
According to the British station BBC, the target of the Russian attack on Poltava in eastern Ukraine was the Poltava Military Communications Institute. Ukrainian military sources reported that one of the Institute's buildings was partially destroyed.
Photos of the damaged building are being published on the internet. They show damage to the top four floors of the five-storey building.
The missiles also hit a school and a hospital. "The time interval between the alarm and the arrival of the deadly missiles was so short that they caught people during the evacuation to the shelter," conveyed the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine in a statement.
"There was an alarm, a minute passed and immediately there was one or two explosions"
Residents recounted the dramatic moments in an interview with the Ukrainian television channel Suspilne. They told journalists that they heard two explosions. The glass in the windows was completely shattered, and the fridge was turned upside down. Inside, everything that was standing is now lying; one of the residents described the remains of the neighbourhood where the attack took place.
Another resident recounted that during the explosions, she hid in the bathroom with her child. "There was an alarm; a minute passed, and immediately, there were one or two explosions. We thought it had hit our house. All the windows were broken, including in the stairwell," said Olena.
The region's authorities declared three days of mourning
Residents are donating blood to help the injured, informed the head of the Poltava region, Filip Pronin. He called the attack "a terrible day for the region".
"All relevant services are working at the site. Coordinated actions of rescuers and medics saved many lives today. Many residents of Poltava are donating blood to help the injured," he wrote on social media. The region's authorities declared three days of mourning.
