«The criminals will be punished». Syrskyi reacted to the tragedy in Poltava.

The commander's response to the tragedy in Poltava

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reacted to the tragedy that occurred in Poltava and stated that the military police service is fully engaged in the prompt investigation of this incident.

«This morning, Russian terrorists struck an educational institution in the city of Poltava. There was also a hit on the territory of a neighboring medical institution. According to available information, the Russians used two ‘Iskander’ missiles. Unfortunately, there are many dead and wounded. Dozens of people were trapped under the rubble. My sincere condolences to all the relatives and friends. The pain and sorrow for the deceased…» - said Syrskyi.

The commander also emphasized that the military police service is fully engaged in the prompt investigation of this incident.

«The aggressor country must be held accountable for every life taken, for every mutilated life. War crimes have no statute of limitations. The criminals will be punished», - summarized Syrskyi. 

According to the Ministry of Defense, today the Russian forces launched a missile strike on an educational institution in Poltava, partially destroying one of the institute's buildings; many people were trapped under the rubble. 25 people have been rescued, 11 have been unblocked, and rescue operations are ongoing.

Unfortunately, as of now, 41 people are reported dead and over 180 injured.

Eyewitnesses reported that the strike was extremely powerful, with plumes of black smoke rising into the sky. The Poltava blood transfusion station announced an urgent blood drive. Also, an operational headquarters was created to eliminate the consequences of the strike in Poltava. According to preliminary data, over 10 residential buildings were affected by this incident.