A Russian drone struck a university building in central Rivne on Tuesday, Oct. 13, injuring 30 people and destroying the premises of its music faculty, Ukrainian authorities said.
Oleksandr Koval, head of the Rivne Regional Military Administration, first reported the attack on Tuesday morning, saying a drone had hit the city center, causing extensive damage and injuring people. Before the strike, at 9:35 a.m. local time, Ukraine’s Air Force had warned of a jet-powered drone flying over Rivne region toward neighboring Volyn region.
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“Russia continues to deliberately attack education institutions. This is deliberate terror against the civilian population and yet another attempt to disrupt the educational process in the country,” Minister of Education and Science Andrii Butenko wrote in a statement on Facebook.
Injury toll continues to climb through the day
The number of injured rose steadily following the attack.
By 3:24 p.m., the National Police said 25 people had been hurt, with three more undergoing medical checks. Two people in serious condition were in surgery at the time.
According to the latest assessment by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES), the number of injured is now at 30, after rescuers finished clearing rubble and collapsed structures left by the falling debris of the Russian drone.
A total of 64 rescuers and 13 emergency vehicles were deployed to the scene, SES reported. Police and officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) also worked at the site.
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According to the university, all students were in shelters during the attacks. Several members of its administrative staff were among the injured, Butenko said.
Music faculty destroyed
The strike set the building of Rivne State Humanitarian University ablaze, nearly burning out the premises of its Faculty of Musical Arts, Butenko said, citing the university’s management.
Firefighters successfully put out the blaze.
However, the building can no longer be used for in-person classes and will have to be rebuilt, the minister said. In the neighboring academic buildings, windows were blown out.
Meanwhile, the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
The university is considering moving all classes online through the end of the week. Further arrangements will depend on which premises remain available and safe.
“Our priority is the safety of people and ensuring conditions for continued learning. Students and university staff must receive the necessary support,” Butenko said.
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