Russia accuses Ukraine of deadly drone strike on university dormitory

International

MOSCOW, Russia (NPA) — Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a deadly drone strike on a college building and dormitory belonging to Lugansk State Pedagogical University in Starobelsk, in the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), killing at least four people and injuring dozens.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs alleged that the attack was carried out overnight on May 22 using four fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to the ministry, 86 children aged between 14 and 18 were inside the five-storey dormitory when the strike occurred, causing part of the building to collapse to the second floor.

Russian authorities said at least 40 people were injured, while rescue operations remained ongoing at the scene. Nearby residential houses, administrative buildings, and social facilities were also reportedly damaged in the attack.

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The Russian government described the strike as a “deliberate terrorist attack” targeting civilians and accused the Ukrainian government of escalating the conflict through what it called “inhuman terror against defenceless children.”

“This strike could not have been accidental. It was a deliberate attack on civilians,” the statement said.

Russia further alleged that the attack was conducted using long-range weapons supplied to Ukraine by NATO countries, claiming foreign specialists provided technical assistance, intelligence data, and target designation support for the operation.

The Investigative Committee of Russia has since opened a criminal case into the incident, with authorities vowing to identify and prosecute those responsible.

The Foreign Ministry also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian government of hypocrisy over previous concerns expressed about children affected by the war.

Russia called on international organisations, governments, and the global community to condemn the attack and warned that silence over the incident would amount to complicity.

The ministry expressed condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Ukraine has not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.