Ukraine, Russia blame each other for missile strike on school
What's the story
A missile strike on a boarding school in Sudzha, Russia's Kursk region, has killed four people. The school was being used as a civilian shelter, mostly housing the elderly. Ukraine's military accused Russia of deliberately targeting the building, saying "the Russian side was fully aware that only civilians - local residents, including women and children were in the dormitory." Ukrainian officials rescued 84 people from the debris with some needing medical attention and four severely injured.
Counter-accusation
Russia accuses Ukraine of launching missiles
In contrast, Russia's Ministry of Defense blamed Ukraine for the attack, claiming missiles were fired from Ukraine's Sumy region. Sudzha has remained under Ukrainian control for five months after a major cross-border offensive by Ukraine in August. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack on social media platform X, saying: "They destroyed the building even though dozens of civilians were there."
Presidential condemnation
Zelenskyy condemns attack, draws parallels with past conflicts
Zelenskyy also drew parallels between the school attack and Russia's past conflicts. He said, "This is how Russia waged war against Chechnya decades ago. They killed Syrians the same way. Russian bombs destroy Ukrainian homes the same way." Separately, at least 12 people died and 17 were injured in a Russian missile strike on an apartment block in Poltava, central Ukraine. Ukrainian forces also claimed to have destroyed 40 out of 55 drones launched by Russia overnight.
Election suggestion
US envoy suggests elections amid conflict
In light of these developments, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Keith Kellogg proposed that Ukraine should conduct elections even as the war rages on. He told Reuters: "Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war. I think it is important they do so." Both Trump and Kellogg have said they have been working on a plan to end Russia's war since February 2022 but have not provided details or timelines.
Ceasefire warning
Zelenskyy warns against excluding Ukraine from ceasefire talks
Zelenskyy has warned against leaving Ukraine out of possible Russia-US ceasefire negotiations, saying: "They [Russia and US] may have their own relations, but talking about Ukraine without us - it is dangerous for everyone." Meanwhile, drone attacks continued across regions in both countries. In Ukraine's Kharkiv region, two people were wounded in a drone strike. In Russia, five Ukrainian drones were reportedly shot down overnight across five western regions including Kursk and Belgorod.