Russian missile strike on Ukrainian city of Poltava kills at least 49 people, officials say

A missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Poltava resulted in significant casualties, with varying reports of the death toll. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at least 41 people were killed and 180 wounded in the strike. However, other sources reported higher death tolls, with some stating that at least 49 people were killed and more than 200 others wounded. The strike targeted an educational facility and a nearby hospital, with many people trapped under the rubble. The Ukrainian government has launched a search and rescue operation, and the head of Ukraine's state-run electricity grid has been sacked. The U.S. is reportedly close to an agreement to provide Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles that could reach deep into Russia, but Kyiv would need to wait several months. The strike has been widely condemned by international leaders, with the UK describing it as a "sickening act of aggression" and Germany stating that Vladimir Putin's brutality "knows no limits."