The Ukrainian military accuses Russian forces of intentionally bombing a boarding school in Kursk, killing at least four civilians. Meanwhile, Russia claims Ukraine was behind the attack.
On February 1st, the Ukrainian military and President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russian forces had targeted a boarding school in the Russian region of Kursk, killing at least four Russian citizens and injuring dozens more. The strike occurred hours after Kyiv reported that at least 10 people were killed in a Russian assault on a residential area in the Ukrainian city of Poltava, reports RFE.
According to the Ukrainian army, a Russian aircraft dropped a bomb on a boarding school in the town of Sudzha in Kursk region, deliberately targeting civilians. Unconfirmed reports suggest that many of the victims were elderly people temporarily sheltering in the building. The Ukrainian army added that at the time of the attack, dozens of local residents were inside, preparing to evacuate, and that at least 84 civilians were rescued and given medical assistance.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Zelensky condemned the attack, stating, “This is how Russia conducts war – Sudzha, Kursk region, Russian territory, boarding school, with civilians getting ready to evacuate. Russian airstrike. They destroyed the building despite dozens of civilians being inside. Russian bombs have destroyed Ukrainian homes in the same way. The Russian army is using similar tactics against its own people.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defense later claimed that the attack was carried out by Ukrainian forces. In a statement, the Russian ministry said, “On February 1st, Ukrainian armed forces committed another war crime by carrying out a targeted strike on a boarding school in the city of Sudzha.” These claims have not been independently verified.
In August of last year, Ukraine captured territory in the Kursk region as part of a surprise offensive. Although they have lost ground since then, Ukraine has launched further offensives to reclaim the lost territory. Russian forces have deployed approximately 11,000 North Korean troops to fight alongside them in Kursk, but these forces have reportedly suffered significant losses, according to Ukrainian and Western officials.
