Russian officials reported that at least four people were killed and 35 children were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on a student dormitory in the Luhansk region, which is controlled by Russia. Independent verification of the incident by Reuters was not possible, and Ukraine has not commented. Ukraine intends to reclaim Luhansk, a region Russia annexed in 2022, which Ukraine deems illegal.
Yana Lantratova, the human rights commissioner of Russia, stated that 86 teenagers were sleeping in the dormitory when the attack occurred. Leonid Pasechnik, a Russian official in Luhansk, confirmed that two bodies were recovered from the debris, while Maria Lvova-Belova mentioned that 18 children might still be trapped. Some hospitalized children are reported to be in serious condition.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the attack, calling it a “monstrous crime” against an educational institution. Russia’s Foreign Ministry claimed that the drone strike destroyed the top floors of the hostel and asserted that there were no military targets nearby, urging the international community to condemn what they termed a terrorist attack. Photographs showed significant damage and rescue efforts in progress. President Volodymyr Zelensky promised vengeance following a recent missile strike in Kyiv that killed 24 people, including children.
With information from Reuters
