Intro
Overnight drone strikes in Luhansk triggered casualties and emergency rescue operations.
Moscow
At least four people were reported killed and dozens of children injured after an overnight drone attack struck a student dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, according to Russian officials.
The reported strike targeted a hostel associated with Starobilsk College of Luhansk Pedagogical University, where teenagers were staying overnight. Russian authorities said emergency services continued rescue operations amid fears that additional victims remained trapped beneath the debris.
According to Yana Lantratova, a total of 86 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 had been asleep inside the building when the attack occurred. Officials stated that at least 35 children sustained injuries during the incident.
Leonid Pasechnik said rescue teams had managed to pull two people alive from the rubble while continuing search operations for others believed to remain trapped. Authorities mobilised emergency crews throughout the night to clear collapsed structures and provide medical assistance.
Images and videos released by Russian authorities showed heavily damaged buildings, sections appearing to have collapsed, emergency personnel carrying survivors on stretchers and firefighters attempting to extinguish remaining fires.
Russia blamed Ukraine for carrying out the strike, although Reuters said it could not independently verify the circumstances surrounding the incident. Ukrainian authorities had not immediately commented on the allegations.
The Luhansk region remains one of four eastern Ukrainian territories that Russia declared annexed in 2022. Ukraine and much of the international community rejected the move and continue to regard the territory as part of Ukraine.
Reacting to the reported attack, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the strike and called for accountability.
Peskov described the incident as a serious attack on an educational institution where children and young people were present and stressed that rescue efforts remained the immediate priority.
The incident comes amid continued escalation in the conflict, with both sides accusing each other of attacks causing civilian casualties. Just last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly vowed retaliation following a Russian missile strike in Kyiv that reportedly killed 24 people, including three children.
The latest developments highlight the continued human cost of the war as both sides remain engaged in military operations while civilians across the region continue to face growing risks.
