Ukrainian Drone Attack on Starobelsk College Kills 21, Prompts International Media Visit
On May 22, 2026, a Ukrainian drone strike hit a dormitory at Starobelsk Professional College in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), killing 21 students and injuring dozens. Russia organized a trip for over 50 journalists from 19 countries to the site on May 24, accusing Western media of avoiding coverage. The BBC and CNN declined, and Japan barred its reporters. Russia retaliated with hypersonic missile strikes on Ukrainian military targets.
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Western media ‘afraid to see truth’ – Russia’s human rights chief
Russia's human rights chief Yana Lantratova accused Western mainstream media of being 'afraid to see the truth' about a Ukrainian attack on a college dormitory in Starobelsk, which she described as a 'deliberate murder of children.' The attack, which occurred overnight from Thursday to Friday, killed at least 21 people, mostly teenage girls. Moscow organized a media trip to Starobelsk on Sunday, with over 50 reporters from 19 nations attending. Lantratova criticized outlets like BBC and CNN for rejecting the invitation, and noted that the Japanese government banned its reporters from attending. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the rejections. In response to the attack, Russia launched a large-scale retaliatory strike on Kiev using hypersonic and ballistic missiles, targeting Ukrainian military command centers, air bases, and defense industry sites.
RT - Daily newsInternational journalists visit site of Ukrainian drone attack on college dorm in Lugansk
The Russian Foreign Ministry arranged a trip for over 50 foreign journalists from 19 countries to the site of a Ukrainian drone attack on a teacher training college dormitory in Starobelsk, Lugansk People's Republic. The attack, which occurred on Friday, killed 21 people, mostly teenage girls, and injured 60 others. Russia's human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova stated that Western media outlets are 'afraid to see the truth' and that claims of the drones being shot down by Russian air defenses are false. The BBC and CNN declined the invitation, while Japan banned its reporters from attending. A Chinese journalist reported seeing no military facilities nearby, and an Italian journalist described the destruction as 'horrible'. In response, Russia launched a large-scale strike using hypersonic Oreshnik missiles against Ukrainian military targets.
RT - Daily newsForeign Journalists Come Face to Face With Starobelsk Tragedy
Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova arrived in Starobelsk, Lugansk People's Republic, on May 24, 2026, to show foreign journalists shrapnel from Ukrainian UAVs used in strikes on a college dormitory. Lantratova stated that Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the site at timed intervals while children were evacuating, and that foreign journalists are present to confirm there are no military facilities at the attack site. The article references a previous report criticizing BBC and CNN for refusing to film the Starobelsk school attack site. The event is framed within Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top StorieOver 50 foreign journalists from 19 countries travel to LPR's Starobelsk after Ukrainian attack on college
On May 24, 2026, over 50 journalists from 19 countries, including Austria, Brazil, Britain, Hungary, Venezuela, Germany, the United States, and China, traveled to Starobelsk in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) to witness the aftermath of a Ukrainian military drone attack on a vocational college. The attack on May 22 killed 21 people and wounded 42, mostly students aged 14-18. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced the visit, noting that Tokyo barred its journalists, BBC declined, and CNN said it was on vacation. Moscow organized the trip in response to what it called false allegations by Western officials at the UN Security Council.
TASSOver 50 Foreign Journalists Head to Site of Ukrainian Drone Attack on Starobelsk College Dormitory
On May 22, 2026, a Ukrainian drone attack struck an academic building and dormitory at the Starobelsk Professional College in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), killing 21 students and injuring dozens more. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced on May 24 that over 50 foreign journalists from 19 countries, including Austria, Brazil, Britain, the United States, and China, are traveling to the site. She noted that Tokyo prohibited its journalists from participating, the BBC officially declined, and CNN is on vacation. The attack occurred while 86 students and an employee were in the building. The LPR is a breakaway region in eastern Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top StorieJournalists From Entire World Agree to Visit Site of Ukrainian Attack - Russia's Zakharova
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that journalists from around the world have accepted an invitation to visit the site of a deadly Ukrainian attack on a student dormitory in Starobelsk, located in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR). The journalists will have the opportunity to meet with survivors, parents of victims, rescue workers, eyewitnesses, and city administration officials. The announcement was made via Sputnik, a Russian state-affiliated news agency, on May 23, 2026. This event is framed as an effort to provide international media with direct access to the aftermath of the attack, which Russia attributes to Ukraine.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top StorieRussian Senator Slams BBC and CNN Refusal to Film Starobelsk School Attack Site
Russian Senator Alexey Pushkov accused BBC and CNN of refusing to report on a Ukrainian drone attack on a high school dormitory in Starobelsk, Lugansk People's Republic, claiming they do not want the truth to emerge. The Russian Foreign Ministry arranged for foreign journalists to visit the site. The Russian Investigative Committee stated that Ukraine attacked with four fixed-wing drones overnight on Friday, killing 18 people, with 86 students and one staff member inside at the time. Pushkov argued that Western media avoid showing the attack to suppress the truth. The article is published by Sputnik, a Russian state-owned news agency, and frames the event as a deliberate Ukrainian attack on civilians, while criticizing Western media for not covering it.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top StorieForeign Journalists Request Visit to Ukrainian Strike Site in Lugansk People's Republic – Russian MFA
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on May 23, 2026, that it has received numerous applications from foreign journalists to visit the site of a Ukrainian strike on a college in Starobelsk, located in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR). Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the ministry will ensure access for the journalists and provide translators, emphasizing that this will allow the world to see 'what the Kiev regime is really doing.' The visit is being organized for Moscow-accredited foreign correspondents. The announcement follows a previous report that the death toll from the attack on the college had risen to 11 or 12. The article is published by Sputnik, a Russian state-affiliated news agency, and frames the event as evidence of Ukrainian aggression.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top StorieJapan Bars Journalists From Covering Ukrainian Strike in Lugansk People’s Republic - Moscow
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced on May 23, 2026, that Moscow received information indicating Tokyo had prohibited Japanese journalists accredited in Russia from covering developments related to a Ukrainian strike on a college in Starobelsk, located in the Lugansk People’s Republic. Zakharova also stated that Russia had begun organizing a visit for foreign journalists to the affected site, but the BBC officially refused to participate, and CNN was reportedly on holiday. She characterized these actions as representative of Western democracy and freedom of speech. The report originates from Sputnik, a Russian state-affiliated news agency, and frames the event as a restriction on press freedom by Japan.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top StorieBBC Refuses to Visit Lugansk Attack Site, CNN on Vacation: Russian MFA Spox
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on May 23, 2026, that the British broadcaster BBC has officially declined to visit the site of a Ukrainian strike on a college in Starobelsk, in the Russia-controlled Lugansk People's Republic (LPR). She also claimed that CNN is on vacation. Zakharova wrote on Telegram that the Russian Foreign Ministry had begun organizing visits to the attack site for foreign journalists accredited in Moscow. The strike, which occurred on May 22, targeted an academic building and dormitory at the Starobelsk Professional College, part of Lugansk State Pedagogical University, with 86 students and an employee inside. LPR head Leonid Pasechnik blamed Ukraine for the attack, which the Kremlin called a 'monstrous crime.' The reported death toll from the incident rose to at least 11 or 12. The article is published by Sputnik, a Russian state-affiliated news agency.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top StorieRussia Invites Foreign Journalists to Visit Site of Ukrainian Attack in Lugansk People’s Republic
On May 23, 2026, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced it is arranging a visit for accredited foreign journalists to the site of a Ukrainian drone attack on the Starobelsk Professional College in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR). LPR head Leonid Pasechnik reported that 35 people were injured when a Ukrainian drone struck an academic building and dormitory, with 86 students and an employee present. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Western denials of the attack, particularly by Latvia's UN envoy, as 'blatant lies' and compared the envoy to nurses who took blood from children for Nazi soldiers. The invitation aims to counter claims that the strike was a 'Kremlin fake.' The article is published by Sputnik, a Russian state-affiliated news agency.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top StorieDeath Toll From Ukrainian Attack on College Dormitory in Lugansk People’s Republic Rises to 10
The death toll from a Ukrainian attack on a college dormitory in Starobelsk, located in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), has risen to 10, with 48 people injured and 11 students still missing, according to LPR head Leonid Pasechnik. Rescuers worked through the night clearing rubble. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, stating that the 'Kiev regime and its handlers' bear full responsibility for escalating hostilities and undermining diplomatic efforts. Psychologists and medical staff are providing support at a temporary accommodation center. The attack is framed within the context of Russia's ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top StorieKremlin Condemns Ukrainian Drone Strike on School Dormitory in Lugansk
The Kremlin has condemned a Ukrainian drone attack on a school dormitory in Starobelsk, Lugansk People's Republic, calling it a 'monstrous crime.' The overnight strike killed at least six people and injured 40, including 14 minors. Governor Leonid Pasechnik stated that 86 students aged 14-18 were inside the Starobelsk Professional College at the time. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Kiev of deliberately targeting children and criticized the West for remaining silent. The Russian Investigative Committee designated the attack as a terrorist act, reporting that four Ukrainian drones were used. The article also notes that Moscow retaliated with an 'Oreshnik strike' in response to the attack.
RT - Daily newsUkrainian Attack on School in Lugansk: What’s Known So Far?
On May 22, 2026, the Ukrainian military conducted an overnight UAV attack on civilian facilities in Starobelsk, located in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR). The attack targeted the academic building and dormitory of the Starobelsk Professional College at the Lugansk State Pedagogical University, where 86 students were staying. The dormitory partially collapsed following a large-scale combined drone strike. Preliminary data cited by Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova indicates at least four people were killed. Regional head Leonid Pasechnik reported 35 people were injured. Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for a terrorist attack in connection with the strike. Russia's EMERCOM reported that three people were pulled from the rubble.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top StorieUkraine Drone Strike Hits School and Dormitory in Lugansk People's Republic
According to the head of the Lugansk People's Republic, Leonid Pasechnik, Ukrainian forces conducted a drone attack overnight on the Starobelsk Professional College, hitting both the academic building and a dormitory. Pasechnik stated that 86 children aged 14 to 18 were present at the time, with 35 sustaining injuries of varying severity. Rescuers are searching for individuals trapped under the rubble. Russian Foreign Ministry officials, including Rodion Miroshnik and Maria Zakharova, condemned the attack as a terrorist act and a war crime, accusing Ukraine of deliberately targeting children. The report originates from Sputnik, a Russian state-affiliated news agency, and frames the incident within the context of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie