Ukraine 'to hold seized Russian territory' indefinitely, as strikes on Poltava kill 50 and injure 270

3 September 2024, 20:18 | Updated: 3 September 2024, 20:57

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has said his country plans to “indefinitely” hold onto the Russian territories it seized during last month’s surprise incursion.

This comes after Russia launched one of its deadliest attacks on Ukraine since Putin’s invasion began in 2022, killing at least 50 people and wounding over 200 in the city of Poltava.

"We don’t need their land,” President Zelenskyy said.

“We don’t want to bring our Ukrainian way of life there," he told NBC.

The embattled president said Ukraine will "hold" the territory as it is key to his “victory plan.”

Read more: Zelenskyy fires Ukraine's air force chief after F16 jet downed in fatal crash

Read more: Russia hits Ukraine with massive strikes for second day in a row

Mr Zelenskyy added he plans to present this proposal to the United States and other allies in the coming weeks.

“For now, we need it,” he continued.

In a shock counteroffensive last month, Ukraine seized over 3,000sqkm of Russian territory.

The country continues to reel from today’s brutal attack on the city of Poltava.

Two ballistic missiles hit the "territory of an educational institution and a nearby hospital" in Poltava, the Ukrainian president said today.

One of the buildings of the Institute of Communications was destroyed in part.

The attack is one of the deadliest carried out by Russian forces since the war began over two and a half years ago.

Some 25 people have been saved, of whom 11 have been pulled from the rubble, according to the country's ministry of defence.

The strikes took place at around 9.10 on Tuesday morning local time (11.10am in the UK), two minutes after the alarm was sounded in the city.

Russian media claim that the attack was on a Ukrainian military training facility, although this claim has not been verified.

The ministry added that since there was such a short amount of time between the air raid siren and the attacks themselves that many people were on the street on the way to shelters.

Many people in the city have gathered to give blood to help the wounded, regional authorities said.

Mr Zelenskyy said: "I have commanded a full investigation into the circumstances of what happened. All necessary services have been brought into the rescue operation.

"I am grateful to everyone who has been helping people and saving lives since the attack."

He added: "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 defense 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."

Poltava is a mid-sized city of around 280,000 people in the eastern part of central Ukraine and is the capital of the region of the same name.

The city is about 70 miles from the border with Russia and about 200 miles south-east of Kyiv.

Regional governor Philip Pronin declared three days of mourning after the attack.

"A great tragedy for Poltava region and the entire country," he said. "The hostile and underhanded strike has taken away 41 lives. Over 180 people have been injured. My sincere condolences to their families and loved ones."