Russian missiles blast Ukrainian military academy and hospital, killing more than 50, officials say

POLTAVA, Ukraine (AP) — Two ballistic missiles blasted a military academy and nearby hospital Tuesday in Ukraine, killing more than 50 people and wounding more than 200 others, Ukrainian officials said, in one of the deadliest Russian strikes since the war began. The missiles tore into the heart of the Poltava Military Institute of Communication’s main building, causing several stories to collapse. Many were saved,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video posted on his Telegram channel. Shattered bricks were visible inside the closed gates of the institution, which was off-limits to the media, and small pools of blood could be seen just outside hours later. When I left the house, I realized that it was something evil and something bad,” said Yevheniy Zemskyy, who arrived to volunteer his help. “I was worried about the children, the residents of Poltava. That’s why we are here today to help our city in any way we can.” By Tuesday evening, the death toll stood at 51, according to the general prosecutor’s office. Filip Pronin, governor of the region that bears Poltava’s name, announced on Telegram that 219 people were wounded. Up to 18 people may be buried under the rubble, he said. Ten apartment buildings were damaged, and more than 150 people donated blood, Pronin said. He called it “a great tragedy” for the region and all of Ukraine, and announced three days of mourning starting Wednesday. The academy trains officers in communications and electronics, as well as drone operators, honing some of the most valued skills in a war where both sides are fighting for control of the electronic battlefield. “The enemy certainly must answer for all (its) crimes against humanity,” Pronin wrote on Telegram. It was not clear whether the dead and wounded were limited to Ukrainian military personnel, such as signal corps cadets, or if they included civilians. Since it embarked on its full-scale invasion in early 2022, the Russian military has repeatedly used missiles to smash civilian targets, sometimes killing scores of people in a single attack. Apartment buildings, markets and shopping centers have also been targeted. Poltava is about 350 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Kyiv, on the main highway and rail route between Kyiv and Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, which is close to the Russian border. The attack happened as Ukrainian forces sought to carve out their holdings in Russia’s Kursk border region after a surprise incursion that began Aug. 6 and as the Russian army hacks its way deeper into eastern Ukraine. The missiles hit shortly after an air-raid alert sounded, when many people were on their way to a bomb shelter, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said, describing the strike as “barbaric.” Rescue crews and medics saved 25 people, including 11 who were dug out of the rubble, a Defense Ministry statement said. “Ukraine needs air defense systems and missiles now, not sitting in storage,” Zelenskyy wrote in English on Telegram. “Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not later. Every day of delay, unfortunately, means more lost lives,” he said. ___ Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://apnews.com/a53f1a4500ef52e4bf8217ee0e8bca84