Number of victims in Russian attack on Poltava in Ukraine rises to 55

KIEV: The death toll from a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Poltava has risen to 55 and more than 300 injured, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.

The attack hit the Poltava Military Communications Institute on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said, but did not say how many of the victims were military personnel or civilians.

On Tuesday, 53 people were found dead in one of the deadliest attacks of the two-and-a-half-year war.

“Poltava – the death toll from a Russian missile attack on an educational institution in the city has risen to 55. 328 people were injured,” Ukrainian rescue services said.

Dozens killed in Russian attack on Ukrainian city

Two days after two ballistic missiles hit the city in central Ukraine, people may still be trapped under the rubble, it said.

The attack sparked widespread condemnation, including from Washington, which called it “another horrific reminder of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's brutality.”

The attack also drew criticism in Ukraine after unconfirmed reports that the target was an outdoor military ceremony. Many commentators blamed the authorities for allowing the event to go ahead despite the threat of attack.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the attack.

Russia said a missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Poltava targeted a Ukrainian army “training center” and that the attack achieved its “goals.”