At least one person was killed and dozens injured, officials said, as the rescue operation continued
At least 35 people have been injured in the Russian city of Starobelsk after Ukrainian forces launched a nighttime attack on a local school, local authorities said.
The strike reportedly hit the main academic and dormitory building of the Starobelsk Vocational College, which teaches students aged 14 to 18. Acting Governor Leonid Pasechnik said 86 students were inside the facility at the time of the attack, adding that some people may still be trapped under the rubble as emergency workers continue to clear debris.
Reports say at least one body was found at the site. The locations of at least three other people were identified by rescuers.
According to Pasechnik, the school was not the only target in what he described as a broader raid of the city. Starobelsk is about 80 kilometers north of Lugansk, the regional capital of the Lugansk People’s Republic, which broke away from Ukraine following a 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev and formally voted to join Russia in a referendum in 2022.
The governor said administrative buildings, shops and private homes were also destroyed, and at least one additional person was injured. He posted pictures showing several badly damaged buildings, including a school, some of which were still burning.
Kiev considers the Lugansk People’s Republic to be part of Ukraine. In April, Ukrainian forces attacked an administrative building in Starobelsk, injuring two pedestrians who were passing by.
Russian officials have accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians as part of what Moscow calls a campaign of terror. Ukrainian officials have said economic destruction is one of the main goals of Kiev’s long-range airstrikes inside Russia, while also admitting that undermining public support for the government by affecting civilians is among their goals.
Ukrainian forces have stepped up drone attacks in recent weeks. Last weekend, they launched the biggest barrage targeting Moscow since the escalation of the conflict in 2022.
You can share this story on social networks:
Follow RT on
