Ukraine: 51 Dead in Russian Airstrikes... "Largest Casualties Since the War Began"

51 Dead, 219 Injured in Russian Missile Airstrikes

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 3rd (local time), Russian forces bombed a military training facility in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 51 people. This is the deadliest single attack since the outbreak of the war in February 2022. Facing a war of attrition and being pushed back, Ukraine has begun administrative reforms to revitalize its government.

According to foreign media including The New York Times (NYT) and the Associated Press (AP), on that day, Russian forces launched two cruise missiles at the communications unit training center in Poltava, eastern Ukraine, resulting in 51 deaths and 219 injuries. Nearby training facilities, hospitals, and residential buildings were also reported destroyed.

The scale of the damage is expected to continue increasing. Poltava Governor Philip Pronin stated on Telegram that “rescue teams are clearing debris and conducting searches at the site,” estimating that up to 18 more people may be trapped under the rubble. Russian news agency TASS also confirmed the airstrike, citing Russian military sources that two missiles were launched at Ukraine from the Iskander-M tactical missile system. CNN explained, “This was the single deadliest attack since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered a swift investigation into the airstrike. He said, “Russia is taking away our most precious asset, lives,” and vowed, “We will never forget this incident.” Western countries also voiced criticism of Russia for the airstrike. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy tweeted on X (formerly Twitter), “Russia’s airstrike on Poltava is the most disgusting and abhorrent act of aggression in Putin’s illegal war,” emphasizing, “We stand with Ukraine.”

The Russian airstrike incident is expected to increase calls for Ukraine to lift restrictions on using Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike Russian territory. The United States has allowed the use of American-made Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) in some border areas, but long-range American ground-to-ground missiles such as the ATACMS remain prohibited from being used against Russian territory.

Ukraine has begun comprehensive administrative reforms to change the course of the conflict. According to foreign media, Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration; Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industries; Denys Maliuska, Minister of Justice; and Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, resigned on the same day. In a speech on the 3rd, President Zelenskyy stated that a full administrative overhaul is necessary due to the strategies to be implemented soon in response to the Russian invasion. President Zelenskyy plans to visit the United States during this month’s United Nations General Assembly to present and discuss future plans for ending the war with U.S. President Joe Biden.