Double-Tap Strike in Poltava Region Kills Four, Including Two Emergency Workers

Massive Assault on Ukraine’s Energy Grid

According to Главком: Russian forces launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, employing a double-tap strike tactic in the Poltava region. The assault left four people dead, among them two employees of the State Emergency Service (SES). The fallen rescuers were identified as Viktor Kuzmenko, a Hero of Ukraine who had responded to over 50 shelling incidents, and Dmytro Skryl, who had dedicated more than 20 years to the service. Dozens of others were wounded in Poltava.

In the Poltava region, Russian forces struck an energy facility and then, after firefighters arrived, carried out a second missile strike. This resulted in four fatalities. Similar attacks were reported in several other regions:

• In the Kharkiv region, one person was killed and four were injured.
• In Dnipropetrovsk, critical infrastructure was hit, leaving three people wounded. In Pavlohrad, damage to power lines cut electricity to thousands of households.
• Strikes on energy facilities were also recorded in the Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia regions; three people were injured in the Kyiv area.

'It is absolute cynicism to ask for a ceasefire to hold propaganda celebrations while launching such missile and drone strikes every day leading up to it. Russia can stop the fire any day, which would end the war and our responses. Peace is necessary, and that requires real steps. Ukraine will act in kind.' Volodymyr Zelenskyy

This attack is part of Russia’s ongoing campaign against Ukraine, aimed at destabilizing the energy grid and terrorizing the population. The deaths of rescue workers who were trying to mitigate the aftermath of the initial strike highlight the extreme dangers faced by emergency services. Such incidents underscore the need for continued international support for Ukraine in countering aggression and ensuring civilian safety.

The recent missile strikes in the Poltava region are not isolated incidents. In a similar attack, a Russian strike targeted a gas extraction site, resulting in the loss of four lives, including two emergency workers. This pattern of aggression underscores the ongoing threat to both critical infrastructure and the safety of those responding to emergencies. For more details on this tragic event, read about the recent attack on a gas facility that further illustrates the dangers faced by Ukrainian emergency services.