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'They killed Syrians the same way' — Zelensky condemns alleged Russian strike on civilians in Kursk Oblast

by Abbey Fenbert February 2, 2025 5:28 AM 2 min read
President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses Ukrainians on Feb. 1, 2025. (Presidential Office)
This audio is created with AI assistance

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia's alleged bombing of a nursing home in Kursk Oblast, comparing the attack to Russian warfare in Chechnya, Syria, and Ukraine.

The presidents comments come after the Ukrainian military reported a Russian airstrike on a residential facility in the Ukrainian-occupied town of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast on Feb. 1. The attack killed at least four people and critically wounded four others.

"This is how Russia waged war against Chechnya decades ago," Zelensky wrote on X.

"They killed Syrians the same way. Russian bombs destroy Ukrainian homes the same way. And even against their own civilians, the Russian army uses similar tactics."

The targeted building, which served as a shelter, primarily housed elderly residents. Over 80 people were evacuated from the building in the aftermath of the attack.

The Ukrainian military said that Russia launched a KAB aerial guided bomb at the site, which they claim was previously targeted by Russian forces in an attack on Jan. 11. The Russian Defense Ministry later on Feb. 1 accused Ukraine of the bombing.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.

Ukraine's Air Force published screenshots from the Virage Tablet system purporting to show the trajectory of the Russian bomb. The system is an automated software program the military uses to track aerial threats.

"This is a state devoid of civility," Zelensky wrote. "And this is an evil that will not stop on its own."

Zelensky's remarks refer to Russia's brutal military campaigns against Chechnya in the 1990s and early 2000s, and Russia's support for former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, now in exile in Moscow.

With Russia's military backing, Assad's regime imprisoned, tortured, and killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians during its crackdown on opposition forces.

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