KYIV: The United States, Germany and the United Kingdom have strongly condemned a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Poltava, which killed at least 51 people and injured hundreds.
The attack, one of the deadliest incidents in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, occurred early Tuesday morning and targeted a military education facility and a nearby hospital. Ukrainian officials reported that two Russian ballistic missiles struck the site, partially destroying one of the buildings.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed outrage at the attack, stating that President Vladimir Putin’s brutality “knows no limits” and called for accountability for the violence. “He must be held accountable,” Baerbock wrote on X (formerly Twitter), condemning the assault as part of the broader pattern of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy also condemned the strike, describing it as a “sickening act of aggression.” In a statement on X, Lammy criticized the attack as a “sickening act of aggression in Putin’s abhorrent and illegal war in Ukraine.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to hold those responsible accountable, referring to them as “Russian scum.” He has ordered a “full and prompt investigation into all the circumstances” surrounding the attack. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s office confirmed the death toll of 51, with over 200 people reported wounded.
White House strongly condemned the attack and said that the deadly Ukraine strike ‘horrific reminder’ of Putin’s ‘brutality’.
Local reports suggested that the strike might have hit an outdoor military ceremony, leading to anger on Ukrainian social media. Many Ukrainians have criticized officials for allowing the event to take place despite ongoing threats of Russian attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to hold what he called “Russian scum” accountable, while rescuers worked to clear the rubble. “As of 6 pm (1500 GMT), 51 people were killed and over 200 wounded in the attack,” the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general said.
