A strike on a college in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine has triggered sharply differing accounts from Moscow and Kyiv, with conflicting casualty figures and rival claims over the target. Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the attack as a “terrorist strike” and ordered his military to prepare retaliatory options, while Ukraine’s military says it struck a legitimate military target.
The attack occurred early on Friday at the Starobilsk Professional College of Luhansk Pedagogical University, a five-storey building in the town of Starobilsk. The town lies in the Luhansk region, which Moscow claims to have annexed. Images on Russian state television showed the building reduced to rubble, with rescue teams sifting through debris.
Casualty figures vary Across reports
Casualty reports differ significantly. According to Russian officials quoted by the BBC, 21 people were killed and 42 wounded. A separate report from the South China Morning Post cites Putin as saying six people were killed and dozens wounded, with 15 people still unaccounted for. The discrepancy likely reflects the evolving nature of rescue operations, as rescuers continued searching through the rubble.
The BBC's reporting identified a survivor, 21-year-old Olga Kovaleva, who had been trapped under the rubble but was rescued. The Russian state TV report also listed the names and dates of birth of students who were killed.
Russia's accusations and Ukraine's denial
Russian officials accuse Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack on the dormitory. Putin, in remarks carried by state television, said the strike came in three waves, with 16 drones targeting the same location. He insisted there were no military facilities in the vicinity, saying, “There are no military facilities, intelligence service facilities, or related services in the vicinity. 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.”
Putin said the attack was not accidental and that “the strike was not accidental; it came in three waves, with 16 drones targeting the same location,” according to the South China Morning Post’s report. He described the attack as a “terrorist strike” and ordered his military to prepare options to retaliate against Ukraine.
Ukraine’s military has denied the Russian accusations. In a statement quoted by both the BBC and the South China Morning Post, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces acknowledged carrying out an attack near Starobilsk on the night of 21-22 May, but said it struck an elite drone command unit in the area. The military said it complies with international humanitarian law, implicitly rejecting Russia’s claim that the college was a civilian target.
Push for UN Security Council involvement
The incident has prompt a diplomatic response. Russia requested an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, according to the BBC’s report. Russia’s UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, held up photographs of the destroyed college and said, “Under international humanitarian law, this constitutes a war crime.”
Perspectives
Russian view
Moscow maintains that the attack was a deliberate strike on a civilian dormitory, with no military facilities nearby, and has called it a terrorist act. Russia has vowed retaliation and sought UN action.
Ukrainian view
Kyiv insists it struck a legitimate military target—an elite drone command unit—and denies targeting civilians. Ukraine says it complies with international humanitarian law, framing the strike as part of its defense against Russian occupation.
International community
The incident has drawn international attention, with a UN Security Council session requested. Casualty figures remain contested, and independent verification of the circumstances is not yet available. The differing narratives underscore the challenge of establishing facts in the fog of war.