Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed retaliation after accusing Ukraine of carrying out a drone strike on a student dormitory in the Russian-controlled city of Starobilsk in the Luhansk region. Russian officials said at least six people were killed, dozens injured, and several others remain missing.
According to Moscow, the attack struck a dormitory connected to a pedagogical university where teenagers aged 14 to 18 were staying. Putin described the strike as a “terrorist attack” and said there were no military facilities nearby, insisting the building was deliberately targeted. He said he had ordered Russia’s military to prepare response options.
Ukraine denied intentionally targeting civilians. Ukrainian military officials said the strike targeted a Russian drone command unit in the area and accused Moscow of manipulating the incident for propaganda purposes.
Ukraine’s military said it hit the headquarters of Russia’s elite Rubicon drone military unit in Starobilsk. It did not say whether it was the same building as the one identified by Russia.
“There are no military facilities, intelligence service facilities, or related services in the vicinity,” Putin said in Moscow.
“Therefore, there is absolutely no basis for claiming that the munitions struck the building as a result of our air defence or electronic warfare systems,” he said at a reception in his Kremlin residence on Friday.
He ordered the Russian military to prepare its “proposals” on how to retaliate.
The Russian leader said the Ukrainian strike had been carried out in three waves using 16 drones.
Russia’s state-run TV showed what it said was one of the injured students, identifying her as Diana Shovkun, aged 19.
She had head injuries after a being hit by a collapsing concrete slab, the TV said report said.
No photos or videos of those who Moscow says were killed were shown.
Later on Friday, Ukraine’s military said its overnight strike targeted Rubikon’s headquarters in Starobilsk. It accused fighters from the special drone unit of regularly striking civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
The statement also said that Ukrainian forces “are causing damage to military infrastructure and facilities used for military purposes, strictly adhering to the norms of international humanitarian law, laws and customs of war”.
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