Search and rescue operations at the site of a Russian missile attack on the city of Poltava concluded on Sept. 5, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported.
The attack killed 55 people and injured 328 others, according to the report. The bodies of the deceased victims are being identified, the State Emergency Service said.
Russia launched two ballistic missiles against the city on Sept. 3, hitting the Military Communications Institute and a neighboring medical facility. The educational institution building was partially destroyed.
There were no ceremonies or other events near the military institute at the time of the Russian attack, Dmytro Lazutkin, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said on national television.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with NBC News that the missiles flew only 3 minutes before hitting the buildings, giving people little time to hide in the shelter.
"We believe that many were injured or killed when they were running to the bomb shelter. So they reacted quickly but did not manage to save themselves," Zelensky said.
Russian attacks have increasingly targeted educational facilities as the school year began in Ukraine, hitting a number of them in Sumy, Lviv, and Kryvyi Rih overnight on Sept. 4.
Poltava is a city of around 300,000, located in Poltava Oblast in central Ukraine. It is situated around 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the border with Russia, and 230 kilometers (143 miles) from the eastern front.
The city and surrounding region are regular targets of Russian drone and missile attacks.
Dinara Khalilova
(Updated: )
