(Updated: )
A Russian strike targeted a nursing home in the Ukrainian-captured town of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast on Feb. 1, the Ukrainian military alleged.
The building, which served as a shelter, primarily housed elderly residents.
At least four people were killed in the attack, while 84 people have been rescued. Four of them were injured and remain in critical condition. Search and rescue operations are ongoing as more people could be trapped under the rubble.
The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify these claims.
"At the time of the attack, dozens of local residents were inside the building preparing to evacuate," Ukraine's General Staff said. "The Russians knew that the building housed mainly civilians - local residents, including women and children. Everything possible is being done to rescue the survivors."
Сьогодні, 1 лютого, о 16:54 російська авіація завдала удару керованою авіаційною бомбою (КАБ) по інтернату в місті Суджа Курської області. Удару завдано цілеспрямовано.
— Генеральний штаб ЗСУ (@GeneralStaffUA) February 1, 2025
Докладніше: https://t.co/PCtQnMEw8q pic.twitter.com/J7RFO29H7Z
Officials have yet to confirm casualties, but emergency crews have been dispatched to the scene.
Ukraine's Air Force said that a Russian plane targeted the building with a KAB guided aerial bomb and published screenshots purporting to show the bomb's flight path. The screenshots are from the Virage Tablet system, an automated software program the Air Force uses to track aerial threats.
There is "indisputable evidence" that Russia carried out the airstrike against Sudzha, the Air Force said.
The Air Force also said that attacks on civilians, including their own, are a "trademark" of Russian warfare.
On Jan. 11, Russian forces carried out a double airstrike on the same nursing home in Sudzha. The attack, which took place on the evening of Jan. 11, left one woman with severe arm injuries, who died later in the morning of Jan. 12, Ukrainian military spokesperson Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi said.
Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale operation in Kursk Oblast in early August, allegedly capturing up to 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian soil. Since then, Russia has deployed reinforcements — including North Korean soldiers — in the area and reportedly retook around half of the lost territory.
Martin Fornusek
