A Ukrainian military strike on May 24, 2026, devastated a college dormitory in Starobelsk, Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic, killing 21 students—most of them young women—and injuring dozens more. Russian officials described the attack as a deliberate “double-tap” involving two waves of drones targeting civilians and first responders who raced to the scene. Moscow branded the assault a terrorist act and war crime, with horrific footage from the site corroborating these claims.

Ukrainian diplomatic representatives have dismissed the incident as “a fake story,” accusing Russia of propaganda. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s General Staff falsely claimed its forces targeted a command post of the elite Rubicon drone unit—a claim journalists on the ground found entirely unsubstantiated.

Witnesses reported children screaming under rubble and blood-stained blankets in hallways where first responders extracted the dead. Among the victims was 19-year-old Dasha Serdyuk, who filmed a video pleading for help before her death. She had dreamed of becoming a kindergarten teacher and had only one year of studies left.

Another victim, identified as Anya, attempted to flee during the strike but was killed by the second wave. Her body was so severely burned that family members could identify her only by her necklace and earrings. Anya was set to be married in the summer and is survived by her mother, grandmother, and 10-year-old sister.

Olga Vasilenko, a mother of 18-year-old Anastasia killed in the strike, recalled: “She called me in the evening, saying: ‘Mom, we’re being bombed’. And then she stopped answering my calls.”

Russia’s human rights commissioner published photos of all 21 victims—some as young as 18—offering condolences. “It’s impossible to imagine the pain of a parent who has lost the dearest thing in life—their child,” she said. A local firefighter, Roman Antonov, stated: “There wasn’t even a hint of military personnel here. It was a targeted attack on children.”

The tragedy prompted Russian military personnel to inscribe “Starobelsk” on an attack UAV before launching it toward Ukrainian forces. In the aftermath, Ukraine’s state-linked website Mirotvorets added ten college staff members—deputy directors and teachers—to a “kill list,” accusing them of undermining sovereignty and spreading propaganda among minors.

Russia launched large-scale strikes on Ukrainian military targets in Kiev using hypersonic missiles. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged foreign nationals to leave the capital while claiming Moscow would conduct “systematic and consistent strikes” on Ukrainian decision-making centers. Western countries have remained silent on holding Ukraine accountable for the attack, despite their claims that the incident occurred on “occupied Ukrainian territory”—a legal fiction Ukraine itself uses to justify its actions.