Dozens killed in Russian strike on military educational facility in central Ukraine

(CNN) — A Russian strike against a military educational facility in central Ukraine killed 51 people and injured more than 200 others, according to Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office, in one of the deadliest single attacks since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said 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. Pronin said authorities believe up to 18 more people may be under the rubble.

At least 10 residential buildings were also damaged in Poltava, he said.

Moscow has not commented on the attack, but a well-known Russian military blogger Vladimir Rogov reported earlier on Tuesday that Russia struck a military school in Poltava.

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.

‘We will never forget this’

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,” said 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 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.

Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska, described the attack as a “terrible tragedy for the whole of Ukraine,” as Western allies condemned the scale and force of the Russian strike.

“My deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the Russian missile attack on Poltava,” Zelenska said. “Russia is taking away our most valuable asset – our lives. We will never forget this.”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy paid tribute to those killed, in a post on X. “Russia’s strikes on Poltava are the latest sickening act of aggression in Putin’s abhorrent and illegal war in Ukraine,” he said on Tuesday. “We stand with Ukraine.”

This story has been updated.

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CNN’s Lauren Kent contributed reporting.