Zelensky Claims "Russia Bombed Schools Where Its Own Citizens Were Evacuating"

Truth Dispute Over Russia's Claim of "Ukrainian Missile"

There are claims that bombs dropped by Russian forces on their own border city occupied by Ukraine fell on a dormitory school where civilians had gathered.

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, stated on the 1st (local time) in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Russian forces bombed a dormitory school in Suza, Kursk Oblast on that day.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, X account screenshot

He said, "A dormitory school in Suza, Kursk, Russian territory, where dozens of civilians were preparing to evacuate, was destroyed by Russian aerial bombs," and added, "This is the way Russia waged war in Chechnya decades ago. They killed Syrians in the same manner."

He also accused, "The Russian military is even using similar tactics against its own civilians."

President Zelensky also shared a 32-second video showing injured people being rescued from the collapsed building and an elderly man using a cane to shield himself.

According to the British daily The Guardian, the Ukrainian General Staff stated in a press release that as of 10 p.m. that night, debris removal and survivor search operations were ongoing, and that at least four people had died and 84 had been rescued or received medical support due to the attack.

Ukrainian military spokesperson Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi said in a video posted on Facebook that nearly 100 people were trapped under the rubble of the building collapsed by the bombing, most of whom were elderly or infirm.

On the other hand, Russia completely denied the Ukrainian announcement, claiming that it was not Russian bombs but missiles fired by Ukrainian forces that hit the school.

The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying, "The Ukrainian military committed another war crime by launching missiles targeting a dormitory school in Suza city on February 1."

Ukraine, which has been at war for nearly three years following the Russian invasion, launched a surprise operation last August crossing the border and temporarily occupied an area of over 1,000 square kilometers in Kursk.

Russia is conducting operations to drive Ukrainian forces out of Kursk. Most of the estimated 11,000 North Korean troops deployed by Russia are stationed in this area, but it is reported that they have recently withdrawn to the rear.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.