On Saturday, February 1, 2025, Russian troops struck an internat in the city of Sudzha, Kursk region, which is under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, where civilians were present. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the attack.
"This is how Russia fights. Sudzha, Kursk region, Russian territory. An internat with civilians who were preparing for evacuation. A Russian air bomb. They destroyed the building, even though there were dozens of civilians inside," – wrote the president on social media platform X.
Zelensky emphasized that this is how Russia waged war decades ago against Chechnya, and similarly, Russian military forces killed people in Syria.
"Russian bombs are also destroying Ukrainian homes. Even against their own civilians, the Russian army employs similar tactics. This is a state that lacks civilization. And this is evil that will not stop on its own. But if we act strongly and decisively, even Russia can be made to halt. This must be done to protect the world from Russian bombs," – Zelensky concluded.
The president also shared a video showing the aftermath of the Russian attack:
Strike on the internat in Sudzha: what we know
Earlier, the representative of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Sudzha, Alexey Dmitrashkovsky, reported that the Russian Federation had struck a boarding school, resulting in 95 people being trapped under the rubble. He noted that most of these individuals are elderly and unable to move on their own.
Subsequently, the General Staff reported that the Russians targeted the building with a guided bomb. At the time of the attack, dozens of local residents were inside, preparing for evacuation. Moreover, Russia was aware that only civilians were present there.