The strike in Poltava, a city with a pre-war population of around 300,000 people, some 300 kilometers east of Kyiv, triggered anger on Ukrainian social media. Unconfirmed reports claimed the strike targeted an outdoor military ceremony, leading many to blame reckless behavior from officials who allowed the event to take place despite the threat of Russian attacks.

President Zelenskyy ordered a "full and prompt investigation into all the circumstances" surrounding the strike. Two Russian ballistic missiles hit the hospital and educational institution, partially destroying one of the buildings.

"The window blew open. Dust was everywhere. I just had time to tell my sister that a rocket was flying."

The defense ministry stated that the time between the alarm and the arrival of the missiles was "so short that it caught people in the middle of evacuating to the bomb shelter."

The Poltava military communications institute, founded in the 1960s when Ukraine was part of the USSR, specializes in training telecommunications specialists. The defense ministry reported that "one of the institute's buildings was partially destroyed, and many people were trapped under the rubble."

An AFP journalist on the scene witnessed several ambulances heading towards the affected site shortly after the attack. Rescuers continued their work after managing to save 25 people, including 11 trapped under the rubble.