Ukraine says dozens killed in Russian attack on military facility; one of deadliest of war

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated preliminary information indicated two ballistic missiles hit the facility in the city of Poltava and a nearby hospital on Tuesday morning.

“We say again and again to everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: air defense systems and missiles are needed in Ukraine, not somewhere in a warehouse,” Zelensky said in a statement.

The head of the Poltava region military administration, Filip Pronin, announced the latest death toll on Telegram, adding that that rescue crews continue to clear and search through the debris at the site.

At least 10 residential buildings were damaged at the military educational institution, he continued.

Speaking about the attack, President Zelensky repeated his call on Ukraine’s Western allies to supply Kyiv with more air defenses and lift restrictions on his country’s military using their weapons to strike inside Russia.

“Long-range strikes that can protect against Russian terror are needed now, not later. Every day of delay is, unfortunately, the death of people,” he added.

Speaking to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in Kyiv, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the missile reached the target in a very short period of time. People were struck down as they were trying to get into the bomb shelter, officials said.

“The only way to intercept them was to have the Patriot system or a SAMP/T air defense system because they are the only one capable of intercepting ballistic missiles,” stated Kuleba, who added that he originally came from the Poltava region.

Ukraine has received a handful of Patriot air defense systems from the United States and Germany, although Kyiv has consistently said the number was insufficient to allow it to effectively defend itself.

The Joe Biden administration said in June it was prioritizing critical air defense capabilities for Ukraine over other countries to “ensure Ukraine’s survival”. But Kuleba made it clear on Tuesday that new weapons cannot come soon enough.

“I don’t know how many more tragedies like this have to occur for all promises to be fulfilled and for all new commitments to be made,” Kuleba added, reiterating Zelensky’s calls for more defense systems to be sent to Ukraine.

Local authorities said Tuesday was a “terrible day for Poltava” and declared three days of mourning. No more details would be released about the strike due to “security issues”, they said.