Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted that there were no military facilities in the vicinity of administrative buildings and a dormitory at the Starobilsk College, a branch of Luhansk State Pedagogical University, which were struck on May 22. His comments came during a meeting in the Kremlin with graduates of a state program aimed at training participants in governance amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Putin stated, “There are no military or intelligence facilities near the dormitory. Therefore, there is no basis to claim that shells hit buildings due to our air defense systems or electronic warfare.” He characterized the attack as intentional, noting that it occurred in three waves involving 16 drones targeting a single location. However, he did not disclose whether an air raid alert had been issued or if civilians were in shelters at the time of the strikes.
As of 5 PM, Putin reported six fatalities and 39 injuries, with 15 individuals still considered missing as rescue operations continued. He emphasized the need for the Ministry of Defense to provide recommendations beyond a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the incident.
Reports from occupied Starobilsk in Luhansk Oblast indicated significant damage to the college’s educational building and dormitory around noon on May 22. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a statement around 4 PM regarding attacks on targets in the rear of Russian forces but did not mention the incident in Starobilsk. Currently, there has been no official comment from the Ukrainian side concerning this specific event.
The Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ shared images of the damaged buildings, attributing the destruction to “explosions” in the city. The channel suggested that the affected structures had been used for military purposes by Russian forces, although initial reports from the Russian side did not clarify whether the educational building had served as a military base. Schools and universities are frequently repurposed by both sides in conflict zones for military deployment.
President Putin has denied the presence of military targets near the site of recent strikes on educational buildings in Luhansk. The attack resulted in multiple casualties, with ongoing rescue efforts and no immediate comments from Ukrainian officials.