At least 20 victims of the attack on Poltava are in serious condition — Hromadske Radio correspondent

As of 11:00 a.m. on September 4, according to the State Emergency Service, 53 people have been killed, and 298 injured in the attack on Poltava. At least 20 of the injured are in serious condition and are currently in intensive care, reported Iryna Sampan, editor and host of Hromadske Radio.

During a live broadcast on Hromadske Radio, she also noted that it is now very difficult to identify the bodies of those killed in the enemy strike.

«Coordination with the relatives of the victims and the deceased is challenging. Some of the wounded were unconscious, and some were without identification documents.»

The correspondent mentioned that local residents and relatives of people who might have been at the Military Institute of Communications at the time of the strike are arriving at the site of the attack.

«However, access to the bodies of the deceased for relatives is currently restricted.»

The journalist added that there are two tents set up at the site, where volunteers and psychologists from the State Emergency Service are providing support.

She also mentioned that rescuers have cleared almost all of the construction debris from the impact site. However, the rescue operation is still ongoing as there are still people trapped under the rubble.

Sampan emphasized that reports suggesting Poltava and the region are unable to handle the large number of wounded are false. The first deputy mayor has denied this information.

Attack on Poltava

As a reminder, on September 3, Poltava was hit by a ballistic missile. The Russians fired two ballistic missiles at the Military Communications Institute. According to Svitlana Rybalko, spokesperson for the Poltava region’s rescuers, the death toll has risen to 52, with 22 people recovered from the rubble. Additionally, 271 people were injured. She reported this on Suspilne on September 4.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the strike in Poltava hit an educational institution and a nearby hospital. One of the buildings of the Institute of Communications was partially destroyed, trapping people under the rubble. Many were rescued.

«I ordered a full and prompt investigation into all the circumstances of what happened. All necessary services are involved in the rescue operation», — he added.

Poltava was hit by a ballistic missile in the morning. The Russians attacked the city with ballistic missiles at 09:10, just two minutes after the air alert was announced.

«The time between the alarm and the arrival of the deadly missiles was so short that it caught people in the midst of evacuating to the bomb shelter», — the Ministry of Defense emphasized.

Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko reported that rescuers have contained the fire and are continuing to clear the debris.

Klymenko noted that a residential area is located near the impact site. In nearby high-rise buildings, the shock wave shattered windows and damaged facades. The police are conducting a door-to-door search to check for any additional victims. Over a hundred claims of damaged property have already been recorded.

Starting September 4, Poltava and the region entered a three-day mourning period for those killed by the Russian ballistic missile, as announced by the head of Poltava regional military administration, Philip Pronin.

More about the attack on Poltava

Earlier, Oleksiy Boychuk, a journalist for the My-Poltava online publication, discussed the consequences of the occupiers’ attack on the city during a live broadcast on Hromadske Radio.

«Currently, there are still people under the rubble. Their number is unknown.»

The journalist noted that the condition of the wounded varies. Many people at the scene were covered in blood, and some were lying on the ground. According to available data, the city’s hospitals are filled with victims of Russian terror. However, there is no exact information about the number of hospitalized patients or their condition.

The strike occurred on the grounds of the educational institution and the nearby hospital. One of the buildings of the Institute of Communications was partially destroyed. Additionally, houses around the impact site were damaged.

Oleksandr Khorunzhiy, the spokesman for the State Emergency Service, also reported that 25 people were rescued, 11 of whom were pulled out directly from under the rubble. It is presumed that more people may still be trapped under the debris. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Currently, 220 rescuers and over 50 pieces of equipment are working at the impact site. Heavy machinery and canine units are also involved. The National Police are conducting inspections of the area to document the consequences of the occupiers’ attack.

Search operations in Poltava

Search operations in Poltava are expected to continue until at least the evening, Hromadske Radio correspondent Iryna Sampan reported earlier in the morning.

According to Sampan, while life in Poltava continues, «the situation is tense» at the site of the strike near the Military Communications Institute.

«There are many emergency services, police, and dog trainers working here. People may still be trapped under the rubble. Even last night, rescuers reported that they couldn’t hear any sounds from people, meaning they might either be unconscious or deceased. But all services continue to work. Many teams have been brought in, including the Pavlograd search and rescue canine unit Antares and teams from Kyiv», — she said.

The journalist also added that there are two tents set up at the site, where volunteers and psychologists from the State Emergency Service are offering assistance.