Zelenskyy Reports 41 Killed in Russian Missile Strike on Ukraine College

On Monday night, Russian missiles and drones invaded Ukrainian airspace once again, leading to a devastating series of strikes that resulted in the loss of at least 44 lives. Among these casualties were 41 individuals who were killed in a direct assault on a military college in Poltava.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the tragic event on his official Telegram channel the following morning. He provided updates from preliminary reports indicating that two ballistic missiles had targeted both the Poltava Military Communications Institute and a nearby hospital, claiming at least 41 lives while injuring over 180 others.

In light of the events, Zelenskyy stated, “I have ordered a full and prompt investigation into all the circumstances of what happened.”

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko also communicated via Telegram that rescue operations were underway, with 25 individuals rescued from the site so far. Among those rescued, 11 were extracted from beneath the rubble.

According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched a coordinated attack comprising three Iskander ballistic missiles fired from the occupied territory of Crimea, one Kh-59/69 missile from the Kursk region in western Russia, and 35 Shahed drones produced in Iran, which were launched from two separate locations in Kursk and Crimea.

In response, Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted and downed 27 of the drones, with a further six reportedly lost during the operation.

In addition to the losses in Poltava, the Interior Ministry reported that a hotel complex in Zaporizhzhia was also hit by a Russian strike, resulting in the deaths of a mother and her 8-year-old son. The family’s father and their 13-year-old daughter were initially trapped under the debris but were later rescued. Both are now hospitalized in serious condition.

Further north in Dnipro, the Interior Ministry reported that a separate Russian missile attack resulted in the death of one person and injuries to at least six others.

Throughout the night, Ukrainian air defense units were actively engaged in protecting cities such as Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Poltava, as well as the Chernihiv and Sumy regions.

The escalation of long-range assaults by Russia on Ukrainian military sites, infrastructure, and civilian areas has prompted officials in Kyiv to reach out to Western allies, primarily the United States, requesting permission to utilize Western weaponry against military airfields and launch sites located within Russian territory.

Despite Ukraine achieving notable victories within Russian territory using domestically produced drones and missiles, President Zelenskyy has repeatedly asserted the need for more advanced military capabilities.

On Sunday, he stated, “The terrorist state must feel what war is.” He emphasized that to compel Russia towards peace negotiations and to reclaim occupied land, effective military tools are essential.

In the wake of a deadly guided bomb strike in Kharkiv last week, Zelenskyy reiterated in his nightly address that these forms of assault can only be mitigated by targeting Russian military airfields, bases, and logistics necessary for ongoing terror operations.

President Zelenskyy continued, “We discuss this every day with our partners. We persuade. We present arguments.” He highlighted that limiting Russia’s capacity to launch air strikes would be a significant step in encouraging Russia to seek an end to hostilities and pursue a just peace.

As the conflict continues to escalate, the urgency for both immediate responses and long-term solutions remains ever-present in the hearts and minds of those affected in Ukraine.

Source: abcnews.go.com