President Zelensky says 41 killed in Russian missile attack on Ukrainian city
A Russian air strike in central Ukraine has killed 41 people and injured 180 others, Volodymyr Zelensky has said, in one of the deadliest single attack in the war.
An educational institution and a nearby hospital in the city of Poltava were hit by two ballistic missiles launched by Russian forces on Tuesday, the Ukrainian President announced in a video posted on social media, adding that several people were pulled from the rubble.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that a military training institute had been hit.
“The Russian scum will definitely be held accountable for this strike,” Mr Zelensky said. “People were trapped under the rubble. Many people were rescued, but more than 180 were injured. Unfortunately, there are many casualties.”
He repeated his plea for Western allies to supply more air defences and urged allies to considering allowing Ukraine to launch long-range missiles into Russian territory.
“We keep telling everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: air defence systems and missiles are needed in Ukraine, not in a warehouse somewhere,” he said.
“”Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not some time later. Unfortunately, every day of delay means loss of life.”
Poltava is located about 70 miles from the Russian border, and 200 miles south-east of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
This story is being updated
