Ukrainian Drones Hit Student Dormitory in Russian-Occupied Luhansk

Russian officials reported that Ukrainian forces launched three waves of strikes at the same location. At the moment, it is known that six people were killed, 39 were wounded and 15 people are unaccounted for, as the search through the rubble is still ongoing.

Rescuers continued to pull out the injured and bodies of the dead despite repeated threats of more drone attacks. Photos and video released by Russian authorities showed rescue workers carrying one man out of the rubble of severely damaged buildings.

Putin called the strike a terrorist attack and ordered defense officials to prepare suggestions for retaliation against Ukraine. The Kremlin described the incident as a monstrous crime and an attack on an educational institution where children and young people are present.

Russia's Defence Ministry said 217 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight across the country. Moscow has launched a criminal investigation into the attack.

Luhansk is one of four Ukrainian regions occupied or partly occupied by Russian forces. Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians in the continuing war, which was sparked by Moscow's forces launching a cross-border assault in February 2022. The report of the Luhansk attack follows a pledge by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to respond to Russia's recent raid on Kyiv which killed 24 people.