ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Russian missile strikes on a city in central Ukraine today killed at least 51 people and wounded more than 200. Ukrainian authorities say it's the deadliest attack of the year, and it comes as Ukraine presses on with an invasion of Russia while losing more land in the east to Russian troops. NPR's Joanna Kakissis is in Kyiv. Hi, Joanna.
JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: Hi, Ari.
SHAPIRO: Begin with today's attack, if you would. Why did Russia target this particular city?
KAKISSIS: So the city is called Poltava. It's got about 250,000 people, and it's located between Ukraine's two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv. Poltava has more than a dozen higher education institutions, including a well-known military academy called the Poltava Military Institute of Communications. The cadets there study digital innovation for the military, and that's really important in a war that's dominated by drones and electronic warfare. And this is the academy that was hit today while the cadets were inside, some of them in class. The missiles came so fast they didn't even have time to get to the bomb shelter. We heard from a soldier whose friend was inside, and he was just shaken by the blast and seeing the blood and limbs of his classmates everywhere. A nearby hospital was also hit, and emergency workers are still pulling people out of the rubble.
SHAPIRO: And so this was the deadliest attack of the year so far, according to Ukraine. How are Ukrainians reacting?
KAKISSIS: So the city of Poltava has declared three days of mourning. Ukrainians are sharing photos and videos from the site of the attack on social media. They're calling the Russians terrorists. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia will pay for the carnage. He also said that the U.S. and other Western allies must speed up weapons deliveries and allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons from the West on military targets in Russia.
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PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: (Through interpreter) 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.
KAKISSIS: And Ukraine's defense minister says he gave U.S. officials a list of those targets in Russia that Ukraine would like to hit with long-range weapons. The U.S. has resisted, saying it will escalate the war. But Ukraine says, you know, hesitation is prolonging the war, a war that's now in its third year.
SHAPIRO: And at the same time, the war took a major turn last month when Ukraine made the surprise incursion into Russian territory. How has that changed the narrative of the conflict?
KAKISSIS: So the incursion into the Russian region of Kursk, which borders Ukraine, was a huge surprise to everyone. Even Ukrainian soldiers said they didn't even know about it until the last minute. The Ukrainian military claims it's taken almost 400 square miles of Russian land and captured hundreds of Russian soldiers. And the success of this incursion has definitely improved morale in Ukraine and among Ukrainian troops. Some military analysts said this offensive into Russia was supposed to compel Russian forces to move some of their troops out of eastern Ukraine, which is currently under siege.
SHAPIRO: And did it have that effect? Has it relieved some of the pressure from the east?
KAKISSIS: No, it has not. The eastern region of Donetsk is being attacked more than ever. Russian troops continue to advance there. They're moving toward a key city called Pokrovsk. Thousands are fleeing that city every day. And this is a scene that has become all too familiar in this war.
SHAPIRO: That's NPR's Joanna Kakissis in Kyiv. Thank you.
KAKISSIS: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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