The Japan Times - Russian attacks on Ukraine kill 13

Ukraine also accused Russia on Saturday of striking a boarding school sheltering civilians in the Ukrainian-occupied town of Sudzha in Moscow's Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a major cross-border assault last August.

A spokesman for Kyiv's military command said dozens were trapped under the rubble of the building, without giving details on casualties, and that rescue operations were underway.

Fighting in the nearly three-year war has shown no signs of de-escalating, despite US President Donald Trump's promise to enact a ceasefire within "24 hours" of taking office on January 20.

At least 13 people died in Russian strikes on central and eastern Ukraine overnight and early Saturday, according to regional authorities and police.

Nine of those, including a child, were killed in a missile hit on a residential building in the central city of Poltava, emergency services said.

Firefighters could be seen searching through the smouldering ruins of a building in AFP images from the scene.

"God saved us," said Olena Svyryd, a resident of a neighbouring building.

"Opposite us, on the fifth floor, a woman, my friend, was taken out. No, she's not alive. She was crushed by the wall. There were a lot of casualties." she told AFP.

Kateryna Yamshchykova, acting mayor of Poltava, said rescue operations were still ongoing.

"Doctors in the hospital are fighting for our wounded," she told AFP.

- 'Boarding school' hit -

Ukraine on Saturday accused Moscow of striking a boarding school building sheltering civilians in the Kursk region.

Kyiv launched a surprise cross-border offensive into the Kursk region last August, seizing dozens of villages and small towns including the regional hub of Sudzha -- home to about 6,000 people before the fighting.

"Russian aviation struck a boarding school in the town of Sudzha, Kursk region, with a guided aerial bomb. The strike was carried out on purpose," the Ukrainian army's general staff said on Telegram.

"At the time of the attack, dozens of local residents were inside the building preparing to evacuate. Everything possible is being done to rescue the survivors," it said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of striking its "own civilians" in the town and shared a video on social media showing a heavily damaged building, as well as an injured man lying on the ground.

"They destroyed the building even though dozens of civilians were there," Zelensky said in a post on X. "Russian bombs destroy Ukrainian homes the same way. And even against their own civilians, the Russian army uses similar tactics."

AFP was not able to immediately verify Ukraine's claim, and Russian officials made no immediate public comments on the accusations.

A Russian official in Kursk told AFP last week that authorities were working "constantly" to secure the return of Russian civilians caught behind the front lines.

Thousands of Russian civilians are thought to be trapped by fighting in the border region.

- Advances in east -

Moscow has been advancing on the battlefield for over a year, with its invasion of Ukraine hitting the three-year mark this month.

The Russian military said Saturday its troops had "liberated" the village of Krymske in the northeastern suburbs of the city of Toretsk.

Toretsk in the eastern Donetsk region has been in the Kremlin's sights for months, as its capture would enable Russia to obstruct vital Ukrainian supply routes.

Both Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have said they are ready for talks on ending the war, but neither side has said when or how.

Trump has been critical of the billions Washington has spent arming Ukraine, while threatening to impose additional sanctions on Russia if Putin does not reach a "deal" to end the war.

Putin said last month he was willing to hold talks with Ukraine, but not with Zelensky, whom he called "illegitimate".

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K.Yamaguchi--JT