Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed retaliation after accusing Ukraine of carrying out a deadly overnight attack on a student dormitory in the occupied eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk.
According to Russian authorities, at least six people were killed and 39 others injured in the strike on the town of Starobilsk. Officials also said 15 people remained missing following the attack, which reportedly caused significant damage to the building and surrounding area.
Speaking during a reception at the Kremlin on Friday, Putin condemned the strike and rejected suggestions that the explosion may have been caused by Russian air defence systems. He claimed the attack was carried out in three waves using 16 drones and described it as a deliberate strike on a civilian target.
“There are no military facilities, intelligence service facilities, or related services in the vicinity,” Putin said, adding that there was “absolutely no basis” for claims that Russian electronic warfare or air defence systems had caused the damage.
The Russian president ordered the military to prepare proposals for a response, signaling the possibility of further escalation in the conflict. Russian state media later broadcast footage from the scene, including interviews with injured survivors. One of them was identified as 19-year-old student Diana Shovkun.
Ukraine’s military confirmed that it had targeted the headquarters of Russia’s elite Rubicon drone unit in Starobilsk. However, Ukrainian officials did not specify whether the military facility was located in the same building identified by Russia as a student dormitory.
The incident has intensified tensions between Moscow and Kyiv as both sides continue long-range drone and missile strikes far from front-line battle zones. Civilian infrastructure and residential areas have increasingly become focal points of accusations and counter-accusations throughout the conflict.
Starobilsk, located in the Russian-occupied part of the Luhansk region, has remained under Moscow’s control since the early stages of the war. The latest strike is likely to deepen concerns over civilian safety in occupied territories and may trigger a renewed wave of Russian military action in the coming days.
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