Ukraine’s General Staff reports that Russian forces struck a boarding house in Sudzha, Russia’s Kursk Oblast, which is currently controlled by Ukraine.
In August 2024, Ukraine launched a surprise Kursk incursion, capturing around 1,000 square kilometers of territory within the first week, including the city of Sudzha. The operation challenged the perception of Russian military invincibility, boosting Ukrainian morale and undermining Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reputation domestically and internationally. It also aimed to strengthen Ukraine’s position in potential peace talks by demonstrating its ability to conduct offensive operations deep into Russian territory.
Russian aviation struck the facility with a guided aerial bomb on 1 February, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not comment on the strike.
The incident occurs amid ongoing missile and drone strikes targeting civilian and energy infrastructure in Ukrainian cities, including residential buildings, schools, and hospitals.
The Ukrainian press officer of the temporary military commandant’s office in Russia, Oleksiy Dmitrashkivsky, reported that the strike trapped 95 people under the rubble. Search and rescue teams at the site have detected moans and screams of survivors beneath the debris.
“Most of these people are elderly and bedridden,” Dmitrashkivsky said.
The facility housed exclusively civilian residents preparing for evacuation when the strike occurred.
Ukraine claims that the Russian forces had intelligence indicating the facility contained only civilians, including women and children.
Ukrainian military commandant’s office personnel continue search and rescue operations at the site.
[added] Ukrainian military personnel continue working on the site and rescuing Russian civilians, according to the General’s Staff.
During the clearing of rubble, 84 civilians have been rescued and provided medical assistance, with four people being in serious condition. Four people have died.
All individuals requiring additional medical support are being promptly transported to medical facilities within Ukraine.
[added] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the incident, saying that “even against their own civilians, the Russian army uses similar tactics.”
In his statement, Zelenskyy drew parallels with previous Russian military actions in Chechnya and Syria, suggesting a consistent approach to civilian targeting.
The president described the attack as demonstrating what he termed “a state devoid of civility,” arguing that such actions represent a systemic approach to conflict that extends beyond the current Ukrainian context.
In mid-January 2025, the Armed Forces of Ukraine also reported that Russian forces attacked the same boarding school in Sudzha, resulting in the death of a woman local resident.
The strike damaged the boarding school building, shattering all windows and doors. According to Dmitrashkivsky, 70 elderly people were in the building at the time of the attack.
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