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Skip to content Sky News - back to home 3 Sept 23° 15° Watch Live * Home * UK * Politics * World * Israel-Hamas War * US * Climate * Science & Tech * Business * Ents & Arts * Offbeat * Travel * Analysis * Data & Forensics * Videos * Programmes * Weather More * Home * UK * Politics * World * Israel-Hamas War * US * Climate * Science & Tech * Business * Ents & Arts * Offbeat * Travel * Analysis * Data & Forensics * Videos * Programmes * Weather Live UKRAINE WAR LATEST: NEARLY 50 KILLED IN DOUBLE MISSILE STRIKE - AS ATTACK 'REVEALS PUTIN'S PRIORITIES' Two ballistic missiles have killed more than 50 people and injured hundreds in the city of Poltava in central Ukraine. The attack is one of the deadliest carried out by Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Tuesday 3 September 2024 17:22, UK * LIVE * Russia * Ukraine Image: Rescue workers at the scene of the strike in Poltava * * * * Why you can trust Sky News KEY POINTS * Missiles kill more than 50 people in double strike on Ukrainian city View post * 'Russian scum will pay,' Zelenskyy vows View post * Videos show damage left by deadly attack View post * Protesters are only arrests as Putin visits Mongolia View post * Big picture:Everything you need to know on the war this week View post * Live reporting by Katie Williams EXPERT VIEW * Dominic Waghorn:Putin rubbing salt in wounds as Kyiv pleads for long-range attacks View post * Sean Bell:Strike proves Putin's priority is on Ukraine, not incursion into Russia View post 10m ago 18:22 UKRAINIAN MILITARY DEATHS IN POLTOVA ATTACK Ukrainian service personnel were killed when Russian forces struck a military institute in Poltova, according to officials. Ukraine's ground forces said on Telegram that they were probing whether enough had been done to protect the personnel at the educational facility which was struck by a ballistic missile today. They did not say how many people at the facility had died. Safety measures will be strengthened at other military facilities, they said. Copy link Close post 20m ago 18:13 ANALYSIS: PUTIN RUBBING SALT INTO UKRAINE'S WOUNDS AS KYIV PLEADS FOR LONG-RANGE ATTACKS By Dominic Waghorn, international affairs editor Ukraine is used to mass casualty missile attacks but this one is particularly devastating. The death toll makes it the bloodiest this year. You have to go back to May 2022 to find anything comparable, an attack on a military academy that killed more than 80 cadets. There are scant details - a reflection perhaps of the fact this was a military facility, also a training facility according to reports from military bloggers, as yet unconfirmed. But what the Ukrainians are saying is that the missiles came with very little warning, backing up their claim they most likely ballistic missiles fired from a long distance but moving fast. The attack makes the point again that they need to strike this threat where it comes from. They have long range Western-supplied weapons, but their allies have not found the courage to let them use them, nervous about the risk of escalation. But the alternative as it stands is Ukraine is being given just enough to continue the war but not enough to defeat the invaders. That is the story of this war. Reuters The timing of this attack may not be coincidental. Vladimir Putin is in Mongolia, a country that is a signatory to the treaty underpinning the International Criminal Court. He will not be arrested, to Ukraine's frustration, because Mongolia cannot afford to alienate a powerful neighbour. Putin knows that and just be going he is flaunting that impunity in itself a propaganda victory that plays well back home. But he is now it seems pushing the point further. By launching an egregious attack on his enemy he is rubbing salt into the Ukrainians' wounds, and thumbing his nose at their Western allies. He can get away with it, he is saying, whatever the West says and does against him. He also knows this attack will go unpunished. Ukraine has the means to strike the source of these ballistic missiles but not the permission to do so. Until policy makers in the West grasp that point and let Kyiv take the gloves off, these devastating aerial assaults will continue. Copy link Close post 45m ago 17:48 AT LEAST 51 PEOPLE CONFIRMED DEAD IN POLTAVA At least 51 people are now confirmed to have died in the Russian attack on Poltava today. Ukraine's prosecutor general's office provided the update, saying the number was correct as of 6pm local time (4pm UK time). Rescuers and an investigative team are still working at the site of the attack and the number of victims is still being clarified, it said in a post to Telegram. Poltava regional head Philip Pronin said earlier that at least 219 people were known to have been injured. Copy link Close post 1h ago 17:27 POLTAVA RESCUE OPERATION MADE HARDER BY AIR RAID SIRENS - AFTER PEOPLE 'STRUCK DOWN ON WAY TO BOMB SHELTER' Rescue operations in Poltava have been hampered by "multiple air raid alerts" and the threat of another "double-tap attack", a fundraising platform launched by Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. According to United24 Media, emergency workers have struggled to retrieve everyone stuck under rubble as sirens have continued to ring out in the city through the day. An online air raid alert map shows there have been several alerts across the Poltava region today - including one which lasted nearly an hour. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN that the Russian missiles reached Poltava city in a short space of time and people were struck as they were making their way to a bomb shelter. Referring to repeated calls from Kyiv for more air defences, Mr Kuleba said: "I don't know how many more tragedies like this have to occur for all promises to be fulfilled and for all new commitments to be made." Copy link Close post 1h ago 17:02 NUMBER KILLED IN POLTAVA RISES AGAIN The number of people killed in the Russian ballistic missile strike on Poltava in central Ukraine has risen to 49, according to an official. Regional head Philip Pronin said on Telegram that at least 49 deaths were known about, while 219 people have been injured. "Debris analysis continues on site, search teams are working," he wrote. "Unspeakable pain and sorrow. Eternal memory of the dead." Two ballistic missiles struck an educational facility and hospital facility earlier today in what has now become one of the deadliest Russian strikes since the start of the conflict. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack left many people trapped under rubble, while videos showed huge damage left by the deadly attack (see 14.45 post). Copy link Close post 1h ago 16:56 UN NUCLEAR CHIEF SAYS SITUATION AT ZAPORIZHZHIA PLANT 'VERY FRAGILE' AS HE MEETS ZELENSKYY The head of the UN's nuclear agency has met Volodymyr Zelenskyy today ahead of a planned visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Mr Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters that the situation at the plant was "very fragile". Earlier he met Ukrainian energy minister Herman Galuschenko and Petro Kotin, head of the state nuclear power company Energoatom, in Kyiv (see 13.50 post). Russia has occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest, since the beginning of the war. Ukraine says Russian attacks damaged two external overhead lines connecting the plant to the grid yesterday. Russia, meanwhile, said its plant in Kursk has been repeatedly attacked by Ukrainian forces - though Mr Grossi said he would not compare the two situations. Reuters Copy link Close post 1h ago 16:37 THREE UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT MINISTERS RESIGN Ukraine's justice and environment ministers have resigned along with the minister responsible for overseeing weapons production during the war. Ukraine's parliament speaker said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Denys Maliuska and Ruslan Strilets all tendered their resignation today. Their requests will be considered soon, the speaker said. No reason was giving for their resignations but Mr Kamyshyn, Ukraine's strategic industries minister, said he would remain in the defence sector in a different role. Copy link Close post 2h ago 16:05 IRANIAN SUPPORT MAKING DEADLY RUSSIAN STRIKES POSSIBLE, SAYS UKRAINIAN MP Iran's support for Russia enabled its missile attack on Poltava today, a Ukrainian politician has said. Lisa Yasko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, told Sky News that Ukraine's allies need to step up cooperation to stop countries "who continue to trade with Russia". "These ballistic air missiles that Russia was using today, against Poltava... can reach the target in a few minutes. "Iran is providing more and more weapons to Russia so that they can make such attacks possible. "We need to, with all international different cooperation, make sure that Russia is not technically capable to have such weapons, to have such missiles," she said. Defence cooperation between Iran and Russia has intensified since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 - but Tehran has previously denied sending missiles and drones to Moscow for use in the war. Copy link Close post 2h ago 15:45 VERIFIED FOOTAGE SHOWS DAMAGE LEFT BY DEADLY ATTACK As we've been reporting this afternoon, dozens of people have been killed after Russia struck a hospital and educational institution in Poltava with ballistic missiles. The strike in the city, which lies around 70 miles from the Russian border in central Ukraine, appears to be one of the deadliest of the war. Footage and images, which Sky News has geolocated to Poltava, have emerged on social media of the destruction caused by the deadly attack: X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options. Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once Copy link Close post 3h ago 15:27 NUMBER KILLED AND INJURED IN POLTAVA STRIKE RISES The number of people killed and injured in the Russian missile strike on Poltava has risen, according to Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska. She said in a post to X that 47 people were dead and 206 wounded. Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at least 41 people had been killed and 180 injured. "My deepest condolences to the relatives of those killed and injured as a result of the Russian rocket attack on Poltava," she wrote. "This is a stunning tragedy for all of Ukraine. The enemy hit an educational institution and a hospital. "It is already known about 47 dead and 206 wounded. Russia is taking away the most valuable thing from us - life. We will never forget this. Eternal memory." Copy link Close post 3h ago 15:20 UKRAINIAN DEFENCE MINISTER IN LONDON TODAY The Ukrainian defence minister met his UK counterpart in London today as the government signed off its latest round of military aid. Rustem Umerov met Defence Secretary John Healey in Whitehall as the £300m contract announced back in July was officially signed. Rustem Umerov with his UK counterpartsMinistry of Defence The UK is now part of a nine-country network called the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), which has pledged to support the country's fight against Vladimir Putin's forces. The latest contract, which will supply Ukraine's Soviet-era guns with 152mm artillery shells, was announced at a NATO summit earlier this summer and will be with troops by the end of the year. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has incessantly called for Ukraine's allies to step up military support, urging in his video response to the Poltava missile attack (see 1.27 post): "Ukraine needs air defence systems and missiles now, not sitting in storage. "Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not later." Since taking office, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed the UK will send £3bn in military aid to Ukraine every year for "as long as it takes". Defence Secretary, John Healey, said: "UK military equipment continues to prove invaluable for Ukraine's war effort. "The ongoing defensive operation in Kursk underlines the crucial importance of continued support. And today's milestone shows the value of working with our allies to deliver that support. "Our government is stepping up Britain's support for Ukraine to fight Putin's illegal invasion." Copy link Close post 3h ago 15:07 THREE DAYS OF MOURNING DECLARED Poltava regional leader Philip Pronin has announced three days of mourning after at least 41 people were killed in this morning's Russian strike. In a post to Telegram, Mr Pronin called the attack a "great tragedy" for the region "and the entire country". "From tomorrow, the region will be in three days of mourning," he said. "Bright memory to all the dead." Copy link Close post 3h ago 14:50 UN NUCLEAR CHIEF VISITING RUSSIAN-OCCUPIED POWER PLANT Away from the deadly strike, the UN nuclear chief is visiting the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant today. Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrived in Ukraine today - a week after he visited a nuclear plant in the Russian region of Kursk, where Ukraine invaded in a surprise a counteroffensive last month. He met energy minister Herman Galuschenko and Petro Kotin, head of the state nuclear power company Energoatom, in Kyiv. The energy minister greets Mr GrossiAP Mr Grossi said the UN agency remains "fully committed to the safety and security of Ukrainian nuclear sites with presence at each" in a post on X. Russia has occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest, since the beginning of the war. Ukraine says Russian attacks damaged two external overhead lines connecting the plant to the grid on Monday. Russia, meanwhile, said its plant in Kursk has been repeatedly attacked by Ukrainian forces. Grossi with workers inside the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in RussiaAP Copy link Close post 3h ago 14:36 ANALYSIS: STRIKE SHOWS PUTIN'S PRIORITY IS ON UKRAINE, NOT INCURSION INTO RUSSIA Military analyst Sean Bell says the deadly strike on Poltava shows Vladimir Putin's priority lies within Ukraine, not the incursion by Kyiv into Russian territory. "It is not a great surprise that Russia is responding [to the Kursk incursion] by putting as many missiles it can into Ukrainian territory, not all of those appear to be against military targets." Bell continued: "All of this coincides with the start of the school terms in Ukraine. "Despite the fact Ukrainians have been pushing into Kursk, despite the fact they have been launching a lot of long-range missiles into Russia, it is pretty clear where President Putin's priority is at the moment - that is the 'special military operation' and seizing the area of the Donbas that he does not yet have." Here's the latest territorial picture on the ground in Ukraine... Copy link Close post 4h ago 14:27 ZELENSKYY'S FULL STATEMENT ON DEADLY MISSILE STRIKE - AS HE MAKES PLEA TO WEST The Ukrainian president posted this statement on X after learning of the strike: I received preliminary reports on the Russian strike in Poltava. According to available information, two ballistic missiles hit the area. They targeted an educational institution and a nearby hospital, partially destroying one of the telecommunications institute's buildings. People were trapped under the rubble. Many people were rescued, but more than 180 were injured. Unfortunately, there are many casualties. As of now, we know that 41 people were killed. My deepest condolences to all of their relatives and loved ones. I ordered a full and prompt investigation into all of the circumstances of what happened. All necessary services are involved in the rescue operation. I am grateful to everyone who has been helping and saving lives from the very first moments following the strike. The Russian scum will surely pay for this strike. We continue to urge everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: Ukraine needs air defence systems and missiles now, not sitting in storage. Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not later. Every day of delay, unfortunately, means more lost lives. Eternal memory to all those whose lives were taken by Russia. Copy link Close post 4h ago 14:14 PROTESTERS ARE ONLY ARRESTS AS PUTIN VISITS MONGOLIA As his forces bombard Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is on a visit to Mongolia, flouting an International Criminal Court arrest warrant that was issued last year for alleged war crimes. He arrived in the country yesterday and in theory should have been put in handcuffs as he landed, because Mongolia is a member of the court. The Russian leader is wanted by the court for the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. Mr Putin lands to an honour guardReuters Instead, in a lavish welcome ceremony today, he was greeted in the main square of the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, by President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. Mr Putin and his Mongolian counterpart A small group of protesters who tried to unfurl a Ukrainian flag before the welcome ceremony were taken away by police. Pics: Reuters More than 50 Russians outside the country had signed an open letter urging the government of Mongolia to "immediately detain Vladimir Putin upon his arrival" - but it is not quite that simple. Although Mongolia is a member of the ICC and is bound to detain suspects if an arrest warrant has been issued, it is a landlocked country highly dependent on Russia for fuel and some of its electricity. Our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett explains more here: WHY PUTIN WON'T BE ARRESTED IN MONGOLIA Sky News Copy link Close post 4h ago 13:59 MISSILES KILL MORE THAN 40 PEOPLE IN DOUBLE STRIKE ON UKRAINIAN CITY Two ballistic missiles have killed 41 people and injured 180 in Poltava, central Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. The attack - on an education and hospital facility - is one of the deadliest carried out by Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. It happened this morning in the city of Poltava, which also gives its name to the surrounding region - around 70 miles from the Russian border and 200 miles southeast of Kyiv. Medics saved 25 people from the building, 11 of which were pulled from the rubble, according to Ukraine's defence ministry. "One of the buildings of the Institute of Communications was partially destroyed," Mr Zelenskyy said in a video on X. "People found themselves under the rubble. Many were saved. "All necessary services are involved in the rescue operation," he added. He said he had ordered "a full and prompt investigation" into what happened. Copy link Close post 4h ago 13:57 WELCOME TO OUR COVERAGE We're restarting our live coverage of the Ukraine war after news of a deadly ballistic missile strike in the centre of the country. Volodymr Zelenskyy has said that 41 people have been killed and about 180 people injured in the Russian strike in the Poltava region. Two Russian ballistic missiles struck an educational facility and a nearby hospital. The attack is one of the deadliest of the war, and the number of dead could grow. Stay with us as we bring you the latest developments and reaction. Copy link Close post 2 Sept 13:39 THE BIG PICTURE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AS THE WEEK BEGINS Good afternoon - we don't have live updates today, but here's everything you need to know as the war enters a new week. This morning Russia launched a missile attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian military said - with witnesses in the city hearing several loud explosions that sounded like the work of air defence units. It came after another weekend of Ukraine and Russia trading drone attacks. Ukrainian air defences shot down 24 of 52 drones during overnight attacks, the air force said on Saturday. And Kyiv hit back yesterday, launching a wave of attacks targeting power and refinery plants in the Moscow region and neighbouring Tver, sparking fires, while scores of drones were destroyed across other parts of the country, Russian officials said. Today Vladimir Putin is due to begin a visit to Mongolia, a country that is a member of the International Criminal Court, which last year issued a warrant for his arrest. In theory, it means he should be put in handcuffs as soon as he lands - but he won't be. Our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett explains why here... WHY PUTIN SHOULD BE ARRESTED ON FOREIGN VISIT - BUT WON'T BE Sky News These maps show the latest situation on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine and the Russian region of Kursk, invaded by Kyiv's forces in a surprise incursion last month. On Saturday, Moscow's defence ministry claimed another settlement, Kirove, in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, had fallen under its control. Here are some other key developments from the past seven days: Russian attacks 'cost £1bn': Moscow launched one of its biggest air attacks of the war so far last Monday, with drones and missiles fired into more than half of Ukrainian regions. At least seven people were killed and power facilities were damaged, Kyiv said. The "cowardly" air attacks cost Moscow almost £1.14bn, the UK representative to the UN James Kariuki said, citing figures come from a report by Forbes Ukraine and Ekonmichna Pravda. Pokrovsk: Russian forces have been closing in on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, prompting some residents to evacuate for fear it will fall in the coming weeks. The region lies on a key road used by the Ukrainian military to supply other embattled Ukrainian-held outposts, such as the towns of Chasiv Yar and Kostiantynivka in Donetsk. Moscow says it has annexed Donetsk, a claim Kyiv rejects as illegal, and sees taking control of Pokrovsk as an important stepping stone to incorporating the entire region into Russia. Our military analyst Sean Bell answered a reader's question on the strategic consequences for Ukraine if the city falls in our Your Questions Answered series - read what he had to say here. Belgorod: Ukraine's invasion of Russia's Kursk region is ongoing, but there were Russian reports last week that Ukraine has attempted to break into the neighbouring Belgorod region, with Moscow's defence ministry saying the situation "remains difficult but under control" on Tuesday. Andrei Belousov, the defence minister, said later that Russia had formed three new military groupings to bolster security in regions bordering Ukraine. In a strike on the city late on Friday, five people were killed and 46 injured, the local governor said, with seven children among the 37 taken to hospital. Zelenskyy's home town struck: A Russian missile struck Volodymyr Zelenskyy's home town of Kryvyi Rih on Tuesday as Ukraine was observing an official day of mourning for an attack that killed four people the day before. The attack on the city struck civilian infrastructure and wounded eight people, local administration head Oleksandr Vilkul said on social media. The attack was part of a barrage of dozens of missiles and drones across Ukraine that Russia launched. Aftermath of the strike in Kryvyi Rih Reuters Sacking after F-16 crash: Mr Zelenskyy dismissed Ukraine's air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk on Friday. He gave no immediate explanation but it comes days after a Ukrainian pilot was killed when his US-donated F-16 jet crashed on Monday, with a possible reported cause being friendly fire. Kharkiv strike: Six people, including a 14-year-old girl, died and at least 55 others were hurt after a Russian missile hit a residential building and playground in Kharkiv on Friday. Kharkiv has been the focus of heavy Russian bombing throughout the war, though there had been a drop in intensity in recent weeks, possibly related to the shock incursion into Kursk. Copy link Close post 30 Aug 19:38 WE'RE PAUSING OUR COVERAGE FOR TODAY We'll be back with more updates and analysis soon, but before we go, here's a recap of the key developments that took place today: * Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sacked Ukraine's air force commander, days after a pilot died when an F-16 jet crashed * Six people have died and at least 55 others hurt following a Russian guided bomb attack on the city of Kharkiv; * Two women died and 11 people were injured by an attack which struck a factory in Sumy that manufactures packaging for baby food, juices and household products; * The Kremlin announced that Vladimir Putin plans to visit Mongolia - a member of the International Criminal Court which has an issued an arrest warrant for him; * The Ukrainian pilot killed when his F-16 fighter jet crashed on Monday was shot down by Ukraine's own anti-aircraft missile system, an MP has claimed; * Mr Zelenskyy said today's attack on Kharkiv could have been avoided if Ukraine had permission to strike Russian military targets with Western weapons; * The EU rebuffed a request from Kyiv for the bloc to train Ukrainian soldiers inside the war-torn country. 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