On January 12, 2026, a Russian drone strike significantly damaged the facilities of Kherson State University.

Photographs from the university rector’s Facebook account show shattered windows and broken drywall, as well as destruction to campus property, including desks, chairs, and window blinds. There were no reported deaths or injuries on campus.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about military forces targeting higher education facilities in armed conflict. Parties to a conflict may only attack legitimate military targets; where a party suspects that a civilian facility — such as a university building — is being used for military purposes, that party has a duty to take every action practicable to verify that this suspicion is correct before initiating an attack. In the event of such an attack, parties must take all practicable precautions to avoid or minimize damage to civilian facilities. Further, parties must refrain from launching attacks which may be expected to cause disproportionate damage to civilian facilities.

Sources:
https://24tv.ua/education/ru/ataka-dronami-kamikadze-na-herson-rossijane-povredili-gosudarstvennyj-universitet_n2988199
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3147984432040538&set=pcb.3147984648707183