More than 50 people died as a result of the Russian missile attack on an educational institution in Poltava; the US is preparing to provide long-range weapons to Ukraine.

On September 3, Russia launched two ballistic missiles at an academic institution and a hospital in Poltava. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, as of Tuesday evening, the number of dead reached 51, and another 271 people were injured.

On the same day, it became known that the US is preparing to provide Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles. In particular, the US plans to include the JASSM – air-to-ground missiles – in the military aid package to be sent this fall. Granting JASSMs to Ukraine would render a significant portion of the European Russian Federation vulnerable to strikes by powerful high-precision munitions and complicate offensive operations for the Russian army.

Older JASSM models have a flight range of about 370 km, and the new version can travel more than 800 km. It is not known which Ukraine will receive. These missiles can be programmed to bypass anti-aircraft defenses and only integrate with American aircraft, which Ukraine now has in its possession.