Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to prepare retaliation options against Ukraine following a drone attack that he claimed hit a student dorm in Starobilsk, Luhansk. This attack allegedly resulted in six deaths and dozens of injuries, with 15 people still unaccounted for. Putin accused Ukraine of intentionally targeting the dorm and claimed there were no military sites nearby, insisting that the strikes were deliberate and occurred in three waves with 16 drones.
Ukraine’s military denied these accusations, stating they had struck an elite drone command unit instead and maintained they followed international law. They aim to reclaim Luhansk, an area claimed by Russia in 2022, which Kyiv considers illegal. Reports indicated that 86 teenagers were present in the dorm during the attack, and some victims, including children, were in serious condition.
Eyewitnesses described terrifying explosions and fires that broke out due to the attack. A local resident recounted feeling a powerful shock wave and experiencing a night of fear as they watched the aftermath. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the attack as a “monstrous crime” against a place of education and called for accountability.
Russia announced that the U. N. Security Council would hold an emergency meeting to address the incident, and the Foreign Ministry urged the international community to condemn what they termed a terrorist act. Images captured by Russian officials showed serious damage and ongoing rescue efforts at the attack site. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy recently vowed to respond to past Russian strikes that killed civilians in Kyiv.
With information from Reuters
