Russian ballistic missile attack on Ukraine’s Poltava kills 55, injures 328. Search and rescue operations completed

Ukraine's State Emergency Service (SES) reported the information.

“Emergency and rescue operations at the site of a missile attack on an educational institution in Poltava have been completed. 55 people were killed and 328 injured,” the statement said.

A total of 36 vehicles and 215 rescuers were working at the site.

Experts are currently identifying the recovered human body fragments, the State Emergency Service (SES) said.

At 2:55 p.m. on Thursday, the SES press service reported that the death toll had risen to 55 and that the search for bodies under the rubble was continuing.

“A six-story building of the educational building was partially destroyed. Probably, there are still people under the rubble,” the statement said.

So far, rescuers have dismantled and removed more than 2,000 tons of construction debris

On Septermber 4,  the State Emergency Service said that the death toll had climed to 53.

“Fifty-three people were killed, 271 were injured, and 25 were rescued, including 11 who were freed from the rubble. According to updated information, up to five more individuals may still be trapped under the debris,” the rescuers reported.

Rescue operations are ongoing, with services continuing their efforts.

“As a result of the attack, a six-story building of the educational building was partially destroyed, 3 apartment buildings, 5 private houses and an office building were damaged,” the SES reminded.

Later, they reported that the number of victims had increased to 298 people.

Earlier, Espreso correspondent Artem Lahutenko noted that as of the morning of September 4, 20 people were in serious condition in intensive care.

“Rescuers are still working at the hit site. The situation with the debris is complicated, there is a threat of collapse of structures,” he said.

At the same time, hotlines are operating in Poltava, and people are reporting that they cannot get in touch with their families and friends. Therefore, there is every reason to believe that there may be more people under the rubble.

Earlier, Svitlana Rybalko, a spokeswoman for the Poltava region rescue service, said that in the morning the death toll had risen to 52, 22 of whom had been unblocked from the rubble. Up to 13 people may be trapped under the rubble of the educational building. 

Poltava Regional Council member Ihor Protsai informed Espreso TV that rescuers had effectively completed the rubble removal from the September 3 strike. The operation involved over 50 vehicles and 200 rescuers.

“Air raid warnings were frequent, forcing people to stop working due to the threat of further attacks. All the wounded were transported to medical facilities. Clinics in Poltava, both private and public, are overcrowded with patients receiving necessary assistance,” emphasized Protsai.

Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, a SES spokesman, said on the United News national telethon that the work would probably continue through the night.

Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office earlier reported that the Russians attacked Poltava with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles. As of 6 p.m., 51 people were killed and more than 200 wounded. One of the buildings of the Institute of Communications, a hospital and nearby houses were partially destroyed.

A pre-trial investigation was initiated into the fact of encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine (Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

“Rescuers, an investigative team and other services are currently working at the site, and the rubble is being cleared. The number of victims is being clarified. Prosecutors, in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies, are documenting the consequences of another crime of the aggressor state,” the Prosecutor General's Office added. 

Defense Ministry spokesman Dmytro Lazutkin announced the increase in the number of dead and wounded during the telethon.

“As of now, 49 people have been killed and 219 injured as a result of the missile strike, and search and rescue operations are underway,” he said.

Prior during the day, Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska gave an update on the increased death toll.

“My deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured as a result of the Russian missile attack on Poltava. This is a terrible tragedy for the whole of Ukraine. The enemy hit an educational institution and a hospital. We already know about 47 dead and 206 wounded. Russia is taking away our most valuable thing - our lives. We will never forget this. Eternal memory,” the first lady wrote.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defense and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported 41 dead and 180 wounded as a result of Russian attack.

"According to the latest information, two ballistic missiles hit the area, striking the educational institution and a nearby hospital. One of the buildings of the Military Institute of Communications was partially destroyed, trapping people under the rubble," Zelenskyy stated.

As of 2:18 p.m., the death toll has risen to 41, with more than 180 people injured.

The Ministry of Defense reported that many people were trapped under the rubble following the Russian missile strike. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of rescuers and medics, 25 people were saved, with 11 pulled out from beneath the debris.

"The time between the air raid siren and the missile strike was so short that it caught people in the middle of evacuating to the bomb shelter," the ministry stated.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered a full and immediate investigation into the incident. According to him, all necessary services are involved in the ongoing rescue operation.

Following the attack, Philip Pronin, the head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration, announced that three days of mourning would begin tomorrow in the region.

“This is a great tragedy for both the Poltava region and the entire country. The enemy’s ruthless attack has claimed 41 lives and left more than 180 people injured. My deepest condolences go to the families and friends of the victims. Starting tomorrow, the region will observe three days of mourning. May all the victims rest in peace,” he said.

Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi comment

Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed that, according to available information, the occupying Russian forces used two Iskander missiles to strike Poltava. The Commander-in-Chief noted that the military law enforcement service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is involved in the investigation of the attack.

“My sincere condolences to all the families and friends. Pain and sorrow for the victims... The Military Law Enforcement Service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is involved in the operational investigation of this incident to the maximum extent possible. The aggressor country must be held accountable for every person killed, for every life maimed. War crimes have no statute of limitations. The criminals will be punished,” wrote Syrskyi.

Ukraine's Land Forces responce

“There are dozens of dead and hundreds of wounded. We have lost brave Ukrainians, our brothers and sisters-in-arms, soldiers. This is war. And our citizens, our soldiers were killed by the enemy, striking far in the rear. We sincerely sympathize with all those who have lost their loved ones and share their grief. We will do everything possible for the wounded to recover as soon as possible,” the statement reads.

At the same time, it is noted that the Land Forces Command is conducting an investigation to determine whether they did enough to protect the lives and health of the military at the facility.

“Measures to ensure the safety of personnel at the facilities will be strengthened, as well as the requirements for discipline and for the command of our units. Together with the military leadership of the state, we call on international partners to speed up the provision of assistance that will allow us to move deadly Russian weapons away from the Ukrainian border,” the agency added.

Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's responce

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that Russia's attack on Poltava is “another proof of the cruelty of Russian terror.” He added that the circumstances of the tragedy will be investigated by the Ministry's Main Inspectorate together with law enforcement.

“Today, Poltava and the whole of Ukraine are experiencing a terrible tragedy. The Russian aggressor hit one of the city's educational institutions and a hospital with ballistic missiles. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded. Rescuers and emergency services are working at the scene. The Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense will also investigate the circumstances of the tragedy in cooperation with law enforcement. Today's events in Poltava are yet another proof of the cruelty of Russian terror,” Umerov said.

Comment of a Poltava City Council member

According to Yulia Horodchanina, a member of the Poltava City Council, the police and the State Emergency Service are currently investigating the condition of the affected neighboring residential buildings.

“More than 10 buildings were also damaged by the blast wave, the facades and windows of the buildings were damaged, and we are now going around to see the condition of the residents of these buildings,” the council member said.

In addition, she called on all those who care to join in collecting aid for the hospitals that are currently receiving the victims and to go to the blood transfusion station starting tomorrow.

Reproducing the chronology of events, Horodchanina added that after the air raid alert was announced, less than a minute passed before the first explosion occurred.

“This is one of the city's residential neighborhoods. Poltava is a small city, it is not the very center, but one of the neighborhoods, not a suburb, but one of the city's residential neighborhoods, populated, that is, not an industrial zone, not somewhere far from the city, but in close proximity to residential buildings, and the educational institution itself, of course, which suffered the most,” she emphasized.

According to her, one building is heavily damaged and is currently being used to evacuate the victims. Other buildings were damaged by the blast wave.

“These are the facades and windows of the buildings, so there is less damage, of course, this is material damage to people, but it is not comparable to the condition of the educational building, and there are less injuries there, and people are now seeking help at the hospital centrally and ambulances are working at this one educational facility. The missiles hit here almost simultaneously, before the rescue services had time to arrive at the scene, so it was a targeted double strike, and as for the victims: these are cadets, mobilized people, and civilians, so different categories of people were affected by this strike,” she summarized.

• On September 3, the Russian military launched an attack on Kherson and the region. The attack resulted in the death of a man, with an elderly woman and a 14-year-old girl sustaining injuries.