Ukraine Accuses Russia of Bombing Civilian Shelter in Kursk

On Saturday, February 1, Ukraine accused Russia of bombing a boarding school in the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region, which was being used as a shelter for civilians. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army stated in a Telegram message: "The Russian Air Force deliberately targeted a boarding school in Sudzha, Kursk region, with an air-launched guided bomb." The statement also mentioned: "At the time of the attack, dozens of civilians were inside the building and evacuating the area, and rescue operations to save survivors are ongoing." Oleksiy Demytryshevsky, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military command in the area, also stated that nearly 100 people remain trapped under the rubble, most of whom are elderly and disabled. In response to this attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of targeting "its own citizens" in this city and wrote on X: "They destroyed this building while dozens of civilians were present. Russian bombs destroy Ukrainian homes in the same way and even use these tactics against their own citizens." Last August, Ukraine launched a surprise attack into the Kursk region in Russian territory and captured dozens of villages and small towns, including Sudzha, which had a population of about 6,000 before the war. The Russian military invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. This invasion is the largest conventional military attack on European soil since World War II. Four days before this full-scale invasion, Russia officially recognized the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk People's Republic' and 'Luhansk People's Republic', two self-declared countries in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, and sent its forces to these areas. In late August 2023, Ukraine was able to capture and maintain control over "92 districts" in the Kursk region following an attack on Russian territory. The siege of Ukraine by Russia continues; analysts suggest that Putin is in no hurry to negotiate. The U.S. calls for elections in Ukraine. Ukraine attacked the 'Russian Army Command' in Kursk. Russia attempts to cut supply lines to the city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine. The proposal for sanctions against the International Criminal Court did not receive a vote from the U.S. Senate. Ukraine shot down 57 Russian drones.