Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised a response after accusing Ukraine of carrying out a deadly drone attack on a student dormitory in an occupied area of eastern Ukraine.
According to Putin, the overnight strike hit the town of Starobilsk in the Luhansk region. He said six people were killed and 39 others were injured, while another 15 people were still missing after the attack.
Ukraine’s military gave a different account, saying it had targeted the headquarters of Russia’s elite Rubicon drone unit in Starobilsk. Ukrainian officials did not confirm whether the building they struck was the same location Russia described as a student dormitory.
Russia Says Student Dormitory Was Hit
Speaking at a reception in Moscow, Putin said there were no military or intelligence facilities near the building that was struck. He rejected suggestions that the damage could have been caused by Russian air defence activity or electronic warfare systems.
Putin said the attack was carried out in three waves using 16 drones. He also said he had ordered Russia’s military leadership to prepare proposals for possible retaliation.
Russian state media showed footage of what it said was one of the injured students. The report identified her as 19-year-old Diana Shovkun and said she had suffered head injuries after being hit by falling concrete.
However, Russian media did not show images or videos of those who officials said had been killed in the strike.
Ukraine Says It Targeted Russia’s Rubicon Drone Unit
Ukraine’s military said the overnight operation in Starobilsk was aimed at the headquarters of the Rubicon drone unit. Kyiv accused members of the unit of regularly carrying out attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
In its statement, Ukraine said its forces were targeting military infrastructure and sites used for military purposes. It also said Ukrainian operations were being carried out in line with international humanitarian law and the laws of war.
The claim from Ukraine has added to the dispute over what exactly was hit in Starobilsk. Moscow says a civilian dormitory was attacked, while Kyiv says it struck a military target connected to Russian drone operations.
Drone Debris Sparks Fire at Russian Oil Depot
Soon after the Starobilsk strike, Russian officials reported another drone-related incident in the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk.
Officials in the southern Krasnodar region said falling drone debris caused a fire at an oil depot. They said several technical and administrative buildings caught fire, and drone fragments also landed on a fuel terminal.
Two people were injured in the incident and were taken to hospital for treatment. No deaths were reported.
Regional officials also said drones damaged private homes in the port city of Anapa, located further north along the Black Sea coast.
Fighting Expands Across Occupied Areas
The latest accusations come as both sides continue to report strikes on military and infrastructure targets in occupied Ukrainian territory and inside Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that the headquarters of Russia’s security service had been hit in a Moscow-controlled area of the southern Kherson region. He claimed around 100 Russian personnel were either killed or injured in that strike.
Russia’s military has not officially commented on that claim. However, a pro-Kremlin online channel reported casualties after what it described as a large drone attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised a response after accusing Ukraine of carrying out a deadly drone attack on a student dormitory in an occupied area of eastern Ukraine.
According to Putin, the overnight strike hit the town of Starobilsk in the Luhansk region. He said six people were killed and 39 others were injured, while another 15 people were still missing after the attack.
Ukraine’s military gave a different account, saying it had targeted the headquarters of Russia’s elite Rubicon drone unit in Starobilsk. Ukrainian officials did not confirm whether the building they struck was the same location Russia described as a student dormitory.
Russia Says Student Dormitory Was Hit
Speaking at a reception in Moscow, Putin said there were no military or intelligence facilities near the building that was struck. He rejected suggestions that the damage could have been caused by Russian air defence activity or electronic warfare systems.
Putin said the attack was carried out in three waves using 16 drones. He also said he had ordered Russia’s military leadership to prepare proposals for possible retaliation.
Russian state media showed footage of what it said was one of the injured students. The report identified her as 19-year-old Diana Shovkun and said she had suffered head injuries after being hit by falling concrete.
However, Russian media did not show images or videos of those who officials said had been killed in the strike.
Ukraine Says It Targeted Russia’s Rubicon Drone Unit
Ukraine’s military said the overnight operation in Starobilsk was aimed at the headquarters of the Rubicon drone unit. Kyiv accused members of the unit of regularly carrying out attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
In its statement, Ukraine said its forces were targeting military infrastructure and sites used for military purposes. It also said Ukrainian operations were being carried out in line with international humanitarian law and the laws of war.
The claim from Ukraine has added to the dispute over what exactly was hit in Starobilsk. Moscow says a civilian dormitory was attacked, while Kyiv says it struck a military target connected to Russian drone operations.
Drone Debris Sparks Fire at Russian Oil Depot
Soon after the Starobilsk strike, Russian officials reported another drone-related incident in the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk.
Officials in the southern Krasnodar region said falling drone debris caused a fire at an oil depot. They said several technical and administrative buildings caught fire, and drone fragments also landed on a fuel terminal.
Two people were injured in the incident and were taken to hospital for treatment. No deaths were reported.
Regional officials also said drones damaged private homes in the port city of Anapa, located further north along the Black Sea coast.
Fighting Expands Across Occupied Areas
The latest accusations come as both sides continue to report strikes on military and infrastructure targets in occupied Ukrainian territory and inside Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that the headquarters of Russia’s security service had been hit in a Moscow-controlled area of the southern Kherson region. He claimed around 100 Russian personnel were either killed or injured in that strike.
Russia’s military has not officially commented on that claim. However, a pro-Kremlin online channel reported casualties after what it described as a large drone attack.
Civilian Casualties Remain a Major Issue
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv has repeatedly accused Moscow of deliberately targeting civilians and residential areas. Russia has regularly denied those accusations.
Ukrainian officials recently said 24 people were killed, including three girls, when a Russian missile destroyed part of a high-rise residential building in Kyiv.
The latest incident in Starobilsk has now created another dispute between Moscow and Kyiv over civilian harm, military targets and responsibility for attacks.
Retaliation Warning Raises Tensions
Putin’s warning of retaliation is likely to further increase tensions in the conflict. The war has increasingly involved drone strikes, missile attacks and cross-border operations, with both sides claiming to hit military targets while accusing the other of endangering civilians.
For Russia, the Starobilsk strike is being presented as an attack on a civilian site. For Ukraine, the operation was aimed at a Russian military drone unit accused of helping attack Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
The conflicting claims make it difficult to independently confirm the full details of the attack. But the incident shows how drone warfare has become a major part of the conflict, with strikes now reaching military bases, occupied towns, fuel depots and urban areas.
As both sides continue to exchange accusations, the risk of further escalation remains high. Putin’s order for military proposals on retaliation suggests Moscow may be preparing a new response, while Ukraine continues to target Russian military facilities linked to the war.
