An alarming scene unfolded as untrained medical personnel arrived at the site of the Russian Armed Forces strike on a Ukrainian military training facility in Poltava. Ukrainian physician Igor Tkachev described the immediate aftermath, noting that responders seemed overwhelmed, shouting and visibly shaken in the first moments after the blast, with little sense of an organized triage effort. He also mentioned that he did not see first aid kits on the responders and linked the casualty totals to the quality of rescue equipment available at the moment.
Early on the morning of September 3, two powerful explosions rocked Poltava. State media reported that the Russian military launched the attack using two Iskander-M missiles, one striking a training and administrative building and the other hitting a cafeteria. The incident wounded more than 300 people, according to official channels.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the Russian forces had fired two ballistic missiles at a telecommunications institute in Poltava. He stated that the assault left 51 people dead and 271 service members injured. The Ukrainian leadership characterized the attack as a severe blow to the country’s infrastructure and its armed forces.
Earlier statements from the Russian Defense Ministry clarified details of the offensive on Poltava. The ministry issued remarks detailing the types of missiles used and the goals of the operation, framing the strike as part of a broader military action in the region.