Tuesday September 3, Two Russian missiles hit the Poltava Military Institute of Telecommunicationsin central Ukraine. The toll: at least 51 dead and 271 wounded. “One of the deadliest bombings of the war,” comments the American daily Washington Post, taken over by International Mail. Among the victims were military personnel and young recruits who were training at the institution, which was founded in the 1960s. “We have lost courageous Ukrainians, our brothers and sisters, soldiers,” the Ukrainian armed forces lamented.
Earlier this evening, in his daily online address, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that “one of the buildings of the Institute of Communications was partially destroyed. People were found under the rubble.” The head of state added that the search for survivors in the rubble was continuing. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the strike took place very soon after the air raid alert was sounded. The missiles “caught people evacuating to the underground shelter.” “Thanks to the coordinated work of rescuers and doctors, 25 people were rescued, eleven of whom were able to be pulled out of the rubble,” the ministry added.
US President Joe Biden condemned “in the strongest terms” this “deplorable” strike. “This attack is a tragic reminder of Putin’s constant and outrageous attempts to break the will of a free people,” he lamented in a statement, assuring that the United States “will continue” to support the Ukrainians, “including by providing them with the air defense systems and capabilities they need to protect their country.” The strike also sparked anger among Ukrainian military bloggers, who, like in Russia, have a certain influence because of the war.
“Tragedies repeat themselves”
Some have questioned the large concentration of soldiers in one place, making it an easy target in wartime. “Poltava… How come so many people were gathered in such a facility?” asked blogger Sergei Naumovitch, who has over 135,000 followers on Facebook. Meanwhile, MP Mariana Bezugla, a member of the parliament’s Defense Committee and a vocal critic of the Ukrainian military command, expressed regret on Telegram that no high-ranking officers had been punished for endangering groups of servicemen during similar incidents in the past. “Tragedies keep happening. When will this stop?” she wrote. Meanwhile, the Kremlin claimed on social media that the missiles were aimed at an outdoor military parade, a claim denied by the Defense Ministry.
The Ukrainian president said he had ordered “a full and rapid investigation” into the circumstances that led to the Russian attack. The aim: to determine whether sufficient measures were taken to protect the lives and health of the soldiers present at the facility. The head of state took the opportunity to call on Kiev’s Western allies to urgently deliver more air defense systems and to allow Ukraine to reach deep into Russian territory with the long-range missiles it has been supplied with. Several Western countries, including the United States, have so far refused to give the green light to such bombings beyond the border regions for fear of an escalation with Moscow.
A reshuffle expected this week
Last week, the Ukrainian army command had already found itself under pressure due to the crash of an F-16 fighter jet, a valuable military equipment recently delivered to kyiv after more than two years of waiting, and the death of its pilot, trained in the United States. Volodymyr Zelensky had then dismissed the commander of the air force, Mykola Oleshchuk. On Tuesday, the Ukrainian head of state also thanked by decree his deputy chief of staff, Rostyslav Shurma. And several ministers, including those of Strategic Industries, Justice and Environment, have submitted their resignations, a prelude to a government reshuffle after two and a half years of war.
“As promised, a major government reshuffle can be expected this week. More than 50% of the government members will be replaced,” David Arakhamia, leader of parliamentarians from the ruling Servant of the People party, wrote on Telegram. President Volodymyr Zelensky will thus try to boost confidence in his team, at a time when kyiv is trying to contain Moscow’s growing offensive in eastern Ukraine while rushing to strengthen its grip inside the Kursk region.
“Autumn will be extremely important for Ukraine. And our public institutions must be set up in such a way that Ukraine achieves all the results we need… We need to strengthen some areas of government, and decisions on personnel have been prepared,” the Ukrainian president assured in his evening speech.