The commander of the Chechen unit of the Russian Guard "Akhmat" Apti Alaudinov accidentally let slip that Russian troops could have shelled a boarding school in Sudzha, Kursk region.
The corresponding video was published by the spokesman for the temporary military commandantʼs office in Russia Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi.
Dmytrashkivskyiʼs first telephone conversation with Alaudinov took place on November 29, 2024. Then Dmytrashkivskyi discussed with him the evacuation of 200 local residents of the Kurk region.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian commandantʼs office suggested taking them across Ukrainian territory and then to the border with Belarus. This route was chosen because transferring people across the front line without the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross would be a violation of humanitarian law.
Alaudinov replied that he would discuss the evacuation issue with the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova. He assured that the Russian side knew that residents of the Kursk region were being housed in the boarding school in Sudzha and that they were not planning to attack it.
During another conversation on January 31, Alaudinov also said that he could ensure that the boarding school was not bombed.
"I can make sure they donʼt bomb there. I can ask them to stop the direction. I can give the command, tell them not to do anything," he said.
In response, Dmytrashkivskyi noted that the Russians have been shelling the boarding school for two days.
"Iʼm not shelling the boarding school. I donʼt have the opportunity from the position Iʼm in to shell Sudzha, the boarding school. These are the units that are coming from the other side, they may shell. But Iʼm not in touch with all of them. You have to understand that Iʼm not the Minister of Defense, not the commander of the district. I have my own area for which Iʼm responsible," the Russian replied.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian commandantʼs office says that it was with these words that Alaudinov admitted that other Russian units could have shell the boarding school.
- Attacks on the boarding school in Sudzha have been reported since January. In particular, a woman was killed in a strike on January 12, and the buildingʼs windows and doors were damaged.
- One of the largest attacks on the boarding school occurred on February 1. At that time, 95 people were trapped under the rubble. Four people died in the attack, and four more were in serious condition.
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