Feb 2(V7N) – Russia launched a barrage of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine overnight, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens, Ukrainian authorities said Saturday.

Among the dead were 11 people, including a child, who were killed when a missile struck a residential building in the central city of Poltava, according to regional officials.

Firefighters worked through the wreckage as emergency crews searched for survivors.

"God saved us," said Olena Svyryd, a resident of a nearby building. "My friend was crushed by the wall. There were a lot of casualties."

Poltava’s acting mayor Kateryna Yamshchykova said rescue operations were ongoing, while doctors continued to treat the wounded.

Ukraine, Russia Trade Blame for School Strike

Ukraine and Russia also accused each other of striking a boarding school in the Russian-occupied town of Sudzha, located in the Kursk region.

Ukraine’s military said a Russian airstrike hit the school, killing at least four people and injuring several others.

Russia’s defense ministry denied responsibility, instead accusing Ukrainian forces of targeting the building. The actual death toll remains unclear, with Russian officials yet to provide a number.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia’s actions, calling the strike deliberate.

"They destroyed the building even though dozens of civilians were inside," Zelensky wrote on social media, sharing a video of the devastation.

Thousands of Russian civilians remain trapped in conflict zones along the border as the war nears its three-year anniversary.

Russia Advances in Eastern Ukraine

Moscow has maintained steady battlefield advances, with Russian forces capturing the village of Krymske, northeast of Toretsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

Toretsk has been a strategic target for months, and its capture would allow Russian troops to cut off key Ukrainian supply lines.

While U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to secure a ceasefire "within 24 hours", neither Russia nor Ukraine has outlined a concrete timeline for peace talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed willingness to negotiate—but not with Zelensky, whom he dismissed as “illegitimate.”

Meanwhile, Trump has been critical of U.S. military aid to Ukraine while warning of additional sanctions on Russia if a peace deal is not reached.

The war, now approaching its third year, shows no signs of slowing down.

END/WD/RH/