The strike hit the Poltava military communications institute, according to Ukrainian officials who did not specify how many of the victims were military or civilians.

“The death toll rises to 54 after the Russian strike on educational institution in Poltava. Another 297 people were injured,” Ukraine’s emergency services said.

Up to five people could be trapped under the rubble, it added, two days after two ballistic missiles hit the central city of Poltava, in one of the single deadliest strikes of the two-and-a-half-year war.

The attack triggered widespread condemnation, including from Washington which denounced it as “another horrific reminder of (Russian president Vladimir) Putin’s brutality.”

It also prompted criticism in Ukraine after unconfirmed reports said the strikes had targeted an outdoor military ceremony, with many blaming reckless behaviour from officials who allowed the event to take place despite the threat of attacks.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the strike.