The Russian Emergencies Ministry reported on Saturday that 18 people were killed and 60 injured after an attack on a college dormitory in Starobelsk, in the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR). The ministry stated that the bodies of two more victims were recovered from the rubble, raising the death toll from the earlier count of 16, according to a ministry statement. Preliminary information indicated that three more people may remain trapped under the debris, the ministry added.
LPR head Leonid Pasechnik said on Friday that Ukrainian forces struck an academic building and dormitory at Starobelsk Professional College, which is part of Luhansk State Pedagogical University. The attack occurred overnight, with regional health officials initially reporting at least four dead and 40 wounded, including 14 minors, according to the Kremlin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the strike as a “monstrous crime,” attributing it to the Kiev regime. [1]
Details of the Attack
Officials said four kamikaze drones were used in the strike on the college, which teaches students aged 14 to 18. Acting Governor Pasechnik reported that 86 students and one employee were inside the facility at the time of the attack. The main academic building and dormitory were hit, leading to a partial collapse of the dormitory, according to local authorities. [2]
Russian authorities attributed the attack to Ukrainian forces, though no specific weapon type was identified beyond the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. The strike is part of a broader pattern of attacks on civilian infrastructure in the LPR, with previous incidents this year targeting schools and residential areas. In April 2026, a drone attack on the Markovsky municipal district in the LPR injured 18 people, Pasechnik said. [3]
Casualty Toll and Recovery
The Emergencies Ministry said in a statement: “The bodies of two more people were brought to the surface from under the rubble. A total of 60 people were injured, of which 18 people died.” Earlier, the ministry noted that four bodies had been recovered, and preliminary information indicated three more individuals might remain under the rubble. Rescue operations were ongoing as of Saturday afternoon, officials said. [4]
Search-and-rescue teams faced additional challenges when local officials reported further Ukrainian drone attacks aimed at derailing the efforts, according to media sources. President Vladimir Putin called the raid a “terrorist attack by the neo-Nazi regime,” and ordered the military to prepare a response, the Kremlin stated. [5] The United Nations also voiced alarm over the reports, with a UN spokesperson calling for restraint. [6]
Official Statements
LPR head Leonid Pasechnik stated Friday that Ukraine deliberately attacked the college. He said the strike targeted civilian infrastructure and called it a terrorist act. The Russian Foreign Ministry invited foreign journalists to visit the site, accusing Western media of refusing to cover the event. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned what she called the “brutally silent” reaction of Kiev’s Western backers.
No immediate comment from Ukrainian officials was reported in the provided sources. Previous Ukrainian statements on similar incidents have denied targeting civilians, but the accounts differ. Independent journalists on the ground, such as Dutch reporter Sonja van den Ende, have alleged that Western media routinely distort coverage of the conflict to fit a narrative favorable to Kiev. [7]
Background on the Luhansk People's Republic
The Luhansk People’s Republic declared independence from Ukraine in 2014 following a disputed referendum, and was recognized by Russia in 2022. The region has been a focal point of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with periodic strikes on both military and civilian infrastructure reported by both sides. The conflict's roots trace back to the 2014 Maidan protests and subsequent civil war in Donbas, during which pro-Russian paramilitary units seized government buildings. [8]
Previous incidents involving civilian casualties in the LPR have been documented by Russian and international sources, though accounts often differ. The UN has reported hundreds of civilian casualties in the region since the escalation in 2022. Despite multiple ceasefires and peace initiatives, including the Minsk agreements, the fighting has continued, with Russia insisting on addressing the “root causes” of the conflict, including Ukraine’s neutrality and the rights of Russian-speaking populations. [9]
References
- "Kremlin condemns 'monstrous' Ukrainian attack". May 22, 2026.
- "Ukrainian drone strike hits Russian school dorm – governor". May 22, 2026.
- News-Pravda. "A Ukrainian drone attack on the Markovsky municipal district of the Luhansk People's Republic". April 28, 2026.
- NAMPA. "Death Toll From Ukrainian Attack on College in LPR Rises to 18". May 23, 2026.
- "We see nothing: How has the West reacted to the Ukrainian strike on a Russian school dorm?". May 23, 2026.
- UN News. "Ukraine: UN alarmed by reports of deadly strike on dormitory in Luhansk region". May 1, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "Dutch journalist In Donbass: Western media is lying about what is happening in Ukraine". April 17, 2022.
- Charles Clover. "Black wind, white snow".
- Original.antiwar.com. "The Root Causes of the War in Ukraine, Or Why Russia Insists on the Donbas". November 3, 2025.
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