At least 41 people are were killed and more than 180 were injured when Russia struck a military institute in the city of Poltava in central Ukraine earlier today, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as quoted by Reuters. The agency noted that this was one of the deadliest single strikes since the beginning of the war, BTA quoted.
Zelensky said in a video posted on the Telegram platform that Russian forces had struck with two ballistic missiles, damaging the building of the Military Institute of Communications, adding that he had ordered a full and swift investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack.
"The Russian bastards will certainly be held accountable for this strike," said Zelensky.
He repeated his calls for more Western air defense assets and urged allies to allow their long-range weapons to be used to strike targets deep inside Russian territory so Ukraine could defend itself.
"We continue to repeat to everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: air defense systems and missiles are needed in Ukraine, not in some warehouse somewhere," said the Ukrainian president.
"The long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not later. Unfortunately, every day a delay means loss of life," he added.