Russians struck an orphanage in Sudzha, leaving nearly 100 people trapped under the debris.

Russian forces struck a boarding school building in Sudzha, Kursk region. The city is under the control of Ukrainian Defense Forces.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing a statement from the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Armed Forces command in Sudzha, Alexey Dmitrashkovsky.

According to him, the strike occurred at 17:54.

"95 people are trapped under the rubble. Moans and cries of people can be heard from beneath the debris. I remind you that among these individuals, most are elderly and bedridden. The military command is currently conducting search and rescue operations," Dmitrashkovsky noted.

Russian media outlets report that an aerial bomb may have hit the building.

Updated at 20:45

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that people in the boarding school were preparing for evacuation. They also released a video from the site of the guided bomb impact.

Updated at 22:30

The incident was addressed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Russia fought like this decades ago against Chechnya. They killed Syrians in the same way. Russian bombs are destroying Ukrainian homes. And even against their own civilians, the Russian army uses similar methods," he wrote on the social network X.

Updated at 23:00

According to the General Staff, at least four people have died. More than 80 have been rescued, the search operation is ongoing, and the injured are being transported to hospitals in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Command in Sudzha

In August 2024, during the Kursk operation, Ukrainian forces captured the district center of Sudzha. A significant portion of the population left the city, but several hundred remain.

Currently, there is a Ukrainian military command in Sudzha led by General Eduard Moskalev. Its responsibilities include meeting the humanitarian needs of the local population.

It should be noted that Russian forces have previously targeted the boarding school. During an airstrike on January 12, a local resident was killed, and all windows and doors in the building were blown out. It houses elderly individuals, many of whom have disabilities.

According to the command, there are about 2000 people in the territories of Kursk region under Ukrainian control.