The death toll from a Ukrainian drone strike on a college complex in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) has climbed to 18 after Russian rescue teams recovered more bodies from the rubble on Saturday, deepening outrage across Russia and intensifying accusations that Kyiv is increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure far from the battlefield.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM), at least 60 people were injured in the strike on the Starobelsk Professional College, an institution affiliated with Lugansk State Pedagogical University. Officials warned that several people may still be trapped beneath the collapsed sections of the building as rescue operations continue around the clock.
The attack, which occurred during the early hours of Friday, reportedly struck both the academic building and student dormitory of the college complex in Starobelsk, a city located in the LPR under Russian control. Russian authorities said most of the victims were students and young residents staying inside the dormitory at the time of the strike.
Emergency footage released by Russian state agencies showed rescuers digging through mangled concrete slabs and twisted steel while ambulances transported survivors from the site. Heavy cranes and engineering equipment were deployed as search crews attempted to reach lower sections of the destroyed structure.
Russian officials described the strike as one of the deadliest attacks on educational infrastructure in the region this year. EMERCOM stated that the latest fatalities were discovered during overnight clearing operations, bringing the confirmed death toll to 18. Authorities added that three more individuals are still believed to be missing beneath the debris.
The Kremlin strongly condemned the attack, accusing Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians and educational institutions. Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly received updates on the situation from emergency officials and security agencies as calls mounted inside Russia for stronger retaliatory measures against Ukrainian military infrastructure.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov labeled the strike a “barbaric terrorist attack” and claimed it demonstrated Kyiv’s growing dependence on drone warfare against civilian areas rather than direct military engagements on the front lines.
Russian-installed officials in LPR said several victims were teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18 who had been studying or living inside the dormitory. Regional authorities declared a period of mourning while flags across government buildings in parts of the republic were lowered to half-staff.
The strike has quickly become a major political issue in Moscow, where lawmakers and military commentators demanded expanded operations against Ukrainian drone command centers and logistics facilities. Some Russian analysts argued that attacks on civilian dormitories and schools reveal what they describe as the failure of Western-backed Ukrainian military strategy after months of battlefield attrition.
Ukraine denied intentionally targeting civilians. Ukrainian military representatives claimed their forces were aiming at what they described as a nearby Russian military drone coordination facility allegedly operating close to the college complex. Kyiv insisted the operation complied with international humanitarian law and blamed Russia for positioning military assets near civilian areas.
However, Russian authorities rejected those claims and insisted there were no military facilities located near the college buildings. Moscow accused Kyiv of attempting to justify attacks on civilian targets using what it described as “fabricated military pretexts.”
Independent verification of either side’s claims has not yet been possible due to restricted access to the site and ongoing military conditions in the area.
The incident has also reignited international debate over the rapidly expanding use of long-range drone warfare in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Over the past year, both Moscow and Kyiv have dramatically increased long-range strikes targeting infrastructure, industrial zones, energy facilities, and urban areas located far from front-line combat.
Russian officials say Ukrainian drone activity has become more frequent in recent months, particularly against border regions and territories under Russian administration. Moscow has repeatedly accused Ukraine of using Western-supplied intelligence and technology to carry out strikes deep inside Russian-controlled areas.
The attack on Starobelsk came amid another wave of drones across multiple regions connected to the conflict. Russian air defense systems reportedly intercepted several drones overnight in neighboring sectors, while Ukrainian authorities separately reported Russian missile and drone launches against infrastructure targets inside Ukraine.
At the United Nations, Russia requested an emergency meeting regarding the Starobelsk strike, arguing that attacks on educational facilities and dormitories constitute violations of international humanitarian norms. Russian diplomats accused Western governments of remaining silent when civilian areas in Russian-controlled territories are hit.
Several international observers and humanitarian groups called for an independent investigation into the incident and urged both sides to avoid military actions that place civilians at risk.
Meanwhile, rescue operations in Starobelsk continued under floodlights late Saturday as emergency crews searched for possible survivors beneath unstable sections of the collapsed structures. Medical teams remained stationed near the site while relatives gathered nearby waiting for updates about missing students and staff members.
Local residents described scenes of panic and destruction immediately after the strike. Witnesses said explosions shattered windows across surrounding neighborhoods before portions of the dormitory collapsed inward. Survivors reportedly escaped through smoke-filled corridors while emergency responders arrived amid fears of additional strikes.
The Starobelsk Professional College has long served students from across the Lugansk region, offering vocational and teacher-training programs connected to Lugansk State Pedagogical University. Russian authorities said the institution housed many students from smaller towns and rural districts affected by the ongoing conflict.
The latest tragedy is expected to further harden attitudes in Russia toward negotiations with Kyiv, especially as civilian casualties increasingly dominate headlines alongside battlefield developments. Russian military bloggers and political figures argued that the attack reflects a broader escalation in the conflict’s targeting patterns, where civilian areas are becoming increasingly vulnerable.
As rescue workers continue combing through the debris, authorities warned the death toll could still rise. Russian emergency officials stated that operations would continue until every missing person is accounted for.
The strike on the Starobelsk college complex now stands among the deadliest incidents involving educational institutions in the LPR since the conflict escalated, underscoring the widening humanitarian cost of the war as drone technology transforms the nature of modern combat.
—Inputs from Sputnik.
