Ukrainian Military Accuses Russian Forces of Striking Boarding School in Kursk Region
A Tragic Incident in Sudzha
In a shocking development, Ukraine’s military has accused Russian forces of launching a missile attack on a boarding school in the border town of Sudzha, located in the Kursk region. The school, which was being used as a shelter for civilians awaiting evacuation, was reportedly destroyed in the strike, leading to at least four fatalities. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, stating that dozens of civilians were inside the building at the time of the strike.
A statement from Ukraine’s general staff noted that rescue teams were hard at work, clearing debris from the site. By 10 p.m. local time (8 p.m. GMT), efforts had resulted in 84 people being rescued or receiving urgent medical attention, although four individuals were reported to be in serious condition. Ukrainian officials emphasized that the missile was of Russian origin and underscored the brutality of the assault.
Conflicting Claims and International Response
While Ukraine firmly placed responsibility for the strike on Russian forces, the Russian defense ministry shifted the blame, accusing Ukrainian armed forces of committing a war crime. In a statement, Russia claimed that on February 1, Ukrainian forces targeted a boarding school in Sudzha. Zelenskyy, speaking in a now-viral message on X (formerly Twitter), denounced the incident as a clear example of Russia’s disregard for civilian life—a method he compared to past Russian military actions in Chechnya and Syria.
A Ukrainian military spokesperson, Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi, added further urgency to the situation by noting that a video posted on social media showed nearly 100 individuals possibly trapped under the rubble, many of whom were elderly or infirm.
Ongoing Conflict Across Ukraine
The incident in the Kursk region is just one example of the escalating violence. Ukrainian forces have maintained control over parts of the Kursk region since a major cross-border operation last August. On the same day as the boarding school strike, Russian drones and missiles also hit various targets within Ukraine, causing widespread damage and loss of life.
In Poltava, a Russian missile struck a residential building, resulting in 11 deaths and 16 injuries, including four children. Emergency services reported that 22 people were rescued from the rubble, and teams continued working late into the night under harrowing conditions. Video footage released by Reuters showed towering columns of smoke and the devastation of once-standing structures.
Additional attacks were reported in Kharkiv, where a drone strike resulted in one death and four injuries, and in the northeastern region of Sumy, where a village patrol suffered the loss of three police officers.
Looking Ahead
As rescue operations continue and both sides trade accusations, the tragic events in Sudzha and across Ukraine underscore the relentless toll of the ongoing conflict. The international community watches closely, as questions remain about the true circumstances behind each strike and the broader implications for civilian safety in the region.