Extract from ABC News
In short:
At least 51 people have been killed and another 219 other people injured in a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Poltava.
It is the deadliest single attack of the war so far this year.
What's next?
Russia is yet to comment on the strike and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered a full investigation.
A Russian missile strike killed 51 people and injured more than 200 in the Ukrainian city of Poltava on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said, making it the war's deadliest single attack so far this year.
Earlier, in a video posted on Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said two ballistic missiles had hit the city, which is located about 110 kilometres from the border with Russia and about 350 kilometres south-east of Kyiv.
"One of the buildings of the [Poltava Military] Institute of Communications was partially destroyed. People found themselves under the rubble. Many were saved," Mr Zelenskyy said.
He also said a nearby hospital was damaged in the attack.
Ukraine's defence ministry described the strike as "barbaric", and said the missiles hit shortly after an air raid alert sounded, meaning many people were on their way to a bomb shelter.
Photographs posted on social media in Ukraine showed several bodies lying on the ground covered in dust and debris, with the badly damaged side of a large building behind them.
The Reuters news agency could not immediately verify the images, and Russia has not yet commented on the attack.
Mr Zelenskyy has ordered a full and prompt investigation into the incident.
Rescue efforts were ongoing throughout Tuesday at the site of the attack.
"Every 15-20 minutes there are 'minutes of silence' to listen out for people who are under the rubble," Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, press officer of the emergency services, said in televised comments.
Poltava governor Filip Pronin announced three days of mourning following the attack, and said that many residents had donated blood for the injured.
The identities of those killed in the strike were not immediately disclosed.
He said 219 people were injured.
Speaking after the attack, Mr Zelenskyy repeated his calls for more Western air defences and urged allies to allow their long-range weapons to be used for strikes deeper into Russian territory in order to protect Ukraine.
"We keep telling everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: Air defence systems and missiles are needed in Ukraine, not in a warehouse somewhere," he said.
"Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not some time later. Unfortunately, every day of delay means loss of life."
Russia has intensified its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, two-and-a-half years into the full-scale war sparked by Russia's invasion of its smaller neighbour in February 2022.
Last week Ukraine was pummelled with the heaviest bombardment to date, and on Monday ballistic and cruise missiles targeted Kyiv, causing loud explosions.
Ukraine also targeted Russia with more than 158 drones over the weekend, damaging an oil refinery near Moscow and a power station.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government minister overseeing domestic weapons production during the war with Russia tendered his resignation on Tuesday along with the justice minister and environment minister, the parliament's speaker said.
The ministers are Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska and Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets.
The house speaker said their resignation requests would be discussed by lawmakers soon.
Reuters/AP/ABC
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