Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on television on 22/5 that he had instructed the Russian military to prepare a response, following an alleged attack on a student dormitory at Starobelsk vocational college in Lugansk. "I must begin with information about the tragedy in Lugansk, which you may already know about", Putin said, describing the incident that occurred last night.
The Russian leader stated the incident resulted in 6 fatalities, 39 injuries, and 15 missing persons. Emergency services are currently searching for victims in the rubble.
President Putin emphasized that there were no military bases, special agencies, or related units near the dormitory. "This was not an unintentional attack. The attack occurred in three waves, with 16 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeting the same location", he added.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the Kremlin on 21/5. Photo: AFP
The Russian Investigative Committee accused Ukrainian forces of launching multiple UAVs at the structure, severely damaging the top three floors of the 5-story building. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, "'This is a horrific crime. An attack on an educational facility, where there are children and young people'". The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that those responsible would face "severe and inevitable punishment".
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting late on 22/5 (this morning, Hanoi time) to discuss the incident.
Starobelsk is located about 65 km from the front line. Russian forces took control of this town in 2022, shortly after launching the special operation in Ukraine.
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Location of Lugansk province. Graphic: RYV
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces denied Russia's accusations. They stated that they had attacked "a Rubikon headquarters" near Starobelsk, referring to an elite unmanned aerial vehicle unit of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The agency criticized Russian media for "spreading manipulative information about alleged attacks on civilian infrastructure carried out by Ukrainian forces".
Over 99% of Lugansk's territory is currently controlled by Russian forces, with only a small western portion still contested. War monitoring groups note that some areas in Lugansk remain in a "gray zone", a contested area not truly leaning towards either side.
The Kremlin has consistently maintained its demand for Ukraine to withdraw all forces from the remaining parts of the Donbass region, including Donetsk and Lugansk provinces, to end the "hot phase" of the conflict. Moscow believes that prospects for diplomatic resolution, including an end to hostilities, would be more open if Kyiv decided to withdraw its troops. Ukraine has repeatedly rejected this demand, asserting that territory is a non-negotiable issue.
Nhu Tam (According to AFP, Reuters)
