Russia bombs children's ice rink in Kursk region - Bild

The rink was built in 2020 by the Russian company Gazprom near the town of Sudzha in the village of Zaoleshenka. The complex included a gym, a choreography classroom, and an ice rink. Students from eight nearby schools used to practice there.

However, in August 2024, the village of Zaoleshenka and the town of Sudzha came under the control of Ukrainian forces. According to Röpcke, during the fighting, Russian aviation targeted the ice rink with a guided air-delivered bomb.

Judging by the footage, the shell hit directly into the building, and the sports center was completely destroyed.

The expert believes that Russia does not hesitate to destroy its own infrastructure when it is occupied by Ukrainians, using the same weapons as in Ukraine to drive out Ukrainian soldiers. Everything there is destroyed, including any building, and Russia does not distinguish between Ukrainian and Russian territory when there is an enemy present. This, the expert argues, is not an exception but a rule.

Photo: Russia bombed the ice rink near Sudzha in Kursk region (t.me/BILD_Russian)

Kursk operation

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in the Kursk region is part of a strategic plan to reduce enemy forces. Its goal is to divert Russian troops from other fronts. Ukrainian forces are acting in specific areas of Russian territory, but their aim is not occupation but the creation of a buffer zone.

As of August 29, the Ukrainian Armed Forces control 100 settlements in the Kursk region, and around 600 Russian soldiers have been captured. According to Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi, the operation in the Kursk region has led Moscow to withdraw about 30,000 troops from the front in Ukraine and redeploy them in this direction.