Death Toll from Orphanage Strike in Sudzha Rises
The number of fatalities resulting from the strike on the Sudzha orphanage in the Kursk region has increased to six. According to local activists, evacuated residents have been temporarily relocated to Sumy, Ukraine, and are preparing to return to Russia via Belarus, reports NewsBox.
The death toll from the attack on the Sudzhansky orphanage in the Kursk region, which occurred on February 1, has risen to six, stated public figure Vladimir Sinelnikov.
Survivors from the building's destruction were evacuated to Sumy, Ukraine, where they are currently housed in a temporary accommodation center. According to activist reports, more than 100 residents from the border regions of the Kursk oblast remain there. Plans are in place to return them to Russia via Belarus, following the same route used in November 2024 when 46 people were transported via Minsk.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian territorial defense released a video of the evacuees, but has not provided information on any new fatalities.
Based on information from Apti Alaudinov, four individuals died from the building strike, and around 90 suffered from concussions.
The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the explosion, stating that four civilians became victims, four more sustained serious injuries, while 84 people were given medical assistance. Ukrainian journalist Yuri Butusov clarified that the strike took place as residents were being prepared for evacuation.
The Ukrainian armed forces officially declared that a Russian tactical aviation strike led to the event in Sudzha, while the Russian Ministry of Defense claims the orphanage was attacked by the Ukrainian HIMARS rocket system.
The Russian side presented drone footage showing rockets being launched from the Malaya Rybitsa area in the Sumy region. However, there is no direct evidence linking these rockets to the strike on Sudzha.
On the following day, the Investigative Committee of Russia initiated a criminal case against Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel Rostislav Karpusha, accusing him of orchestrating the attack. The acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, described the incident as "inhuman brutality," emphasizing that such actions "have no and can never have justification."