Russia has expressed strong condemnation after reporting that a Ukrainian drone attack resulted in the deaths of at least six people in the occupied Luhansk region. Leonid Pasechnik, the Moscow-installed regional governor, stated on Friday that a student dormitory in Starobilsk was hit. The Kremlin, which has been responsible for thousands of deaths in Ukraine since its full-scale invasion over four years ago, labeled the incident a “monstrous crime.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin described it as a “terrorist strike,” emphasizing that the attack was deliberate and that Ukrainian forces launched “three waves” of strikes at the same location. Putin, in televised comments, reported, “At the moment, it is known that six people were killed, 39 were wounded and 15 people are unaccounted for, as the search through the rubble is still ongoing,” and ordered Russia’s army to “prepare suggestions” for retaliation against Ukraine.
Pasechnik had earlier stated that Ukrainian drones struck the five-story dormitory of Luhansk Pedagogical University during the overnight attack, causing the building to collapse to its second floor. Russian authorities indicated that approximately 86 children and teachers were inside when the drone struck, with some individuals trapped under the rubble. The victims were reportedly aged between 14 and 18.
Yulia Shapovalova, Al Jazeera’s Moscow correspondent, reported, “Rescuers continue to pull out the injured children and bodies of the dead, despite a repeated threat of more UAV attacks.” Luhansk, which Russia claimed full control over in April, is one of four Ukrainian regions fully or partly occupied by Russian forces. Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians in the ongoing conflict, which began with Moscow’s cross-border assault in February 2022.
In response, Ukraine’s military on Friday dismissed Russian accusations of attacking a student dormitory in occupied Starobilsk as “manipulation.” Kyiv’s general staff asserted in a social media statement that its forces had targeted “one of the headquarters of the ‘Rubikon’ unit in the area of the city of Starobilsk,” claiming this unit was involved in strikes on Ukrainian civilians. Ukraine stressed its adherence to international humanitarian law.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov demanded justice for those responsible, stating, “This is a monstrous crime. An attack on an educational institution where children and young people are present,” as reported by Reuters. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told RIA Novosti that the strike was a “deliberate” attack against children.
Moscow has initiated a criminal investigation. Russia’s Investigative Committee reported that Ukraine used four UAVs to strike the dormitory and other buildings in Starobilsk. Russian authorities released photos and videos showing rescue workers extracting a man from the debris of severely damaged buildings, one of which appeared partially collapsed with ongoing fires. Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights commissioner, expressed expectations for international organizations to respond to the attack on a “civilian facility where children study and live.”
Russia’s Defence Ministry also reported that 217 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight across the country. Shapovalova noted that constant Ukrainian attacks have “negatively impacted” Russia’s oil and domestic petrol production, with analysts suggesting this could lead to significant disruptions for Russia’s economy and its capacity to sustain the war. This report of the Luhansk attack follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s pledge to retaliate for Russia’s recent raid on Kyiv, which killed 24 people.
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