Russia has accused NATO of involvement in an assault on a college that resulted in six deaths and numerous injuries.
The attack targeted a Russian-occupied area in Lugansk, causing a college in Starobilsk to catch fire and sustain damage to its windows. Russian President Vladimir Putin alleges that Ukrainian forces deliberately targeted the student dormitory, labeling it a terrorist act and accusing Ukraine of aiming at civilians.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the attack as a “heinous crime.” The incident claimed six lives, injured 39, and left 15 individuals missing, as reported by Russia’s foreign ministry, which now implicates NATO in the attack.
The Russian Foreign Ministry insinuated that NATO experts provided technical support to Kyiv for the strikes. In a statement published by the TASS news agency, they held the Kyiv regime and its supporters accountable for escalating hostilities by launching the assault in Starobelsk.
Furthermore, the ministry alleged that Western capitals were supplying intelligence to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and assisting in targeting operations. They warned of no leniency for those responsible for the college attack and likened the strike to tactics reminiscent of the German Nazis.
Russia’s Investigative Committee accused the Ukrainian military of launching four drones at the college building, causing it to collapse partially. Meanwhile, the Moscow-appointed governor Leonid Pasechnik reported that enemy drones attacked the academic and residential buildings of Starobelsk Professional College when 86 children aged 14 to 18 were present.
Starobilsk, located approximately 40 miles from the front line in eastern Ukraine, was seized shortly after the 2022 invasion by Russia.