Russian President Putin Vows Retaliation Against Ukraine Following Alleged Attack on Dormitory
Image source, Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of carrying out a devastating attack on a dormitory in eastern Ukraine under Russian control and expressed his commitment to retaliate.
Putin reported that six people were killed and 39 injured during the nighttime attack in the city of Starobilsk, Luhansk region. Additionally, 15 individuals are said to be missing.
The Ukrainian military claims to have targeted the Rubicon drone military center located in Starobilsk, but it is unclear whether the building identified by Russia is the same.
“There is no military center, intelligence service, or any related facilities there,” Putin said in Moscow.
“Therefore, there is no justification for claiming the building was hit due to our air defense or electronic warfare systems,” he added during a program held at the Kremlin residence on Friday.
Putin has ordered the Russian military to prepare a ‘proposal’ on how to respond to the attack.
He stated that the Ukrainian assault involved 16 drones conducted over three waves.
Russian state television has identified one of the injured as 19-year-old student Diana Shovkun.
TV reports that after a concrete slab collapsed, she sustained a head injury.
Moscow has not released any photos or videos of those reportedly killed.
Russian officials told reporters on Saturday morning that two people were injured in a drone attack on an oil depot at the Novorossiysk port.
The General Headquarters in the southern Krasnodar region reported fires at several technical administrative buildings and stated that drone debris fell on the fuel terminal. The two injured individuals are receiving hospital treatment, with no fatalities reported.
The General Headquarters also mentioned that private homes were damaged by drones in the northern port city of Anapa.
On Friday night, the Ukrainian military claimed to have targeted the Rubicon military headquarters in Starobilsk.
They accused the special drone unit of regularly attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
The statement highlighted that the Ukrainian forces are causing damage to military infrastructure and facilities used for military purposes, allegedly violating international humanitarian law, domestic laws, and the laws of war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that there was an attack on the headquarters of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in Russian-occupied southern Kherson region.
He claimed that around 100 Russian “occupiers” were killed or wounded.
The Moscow military has yet to respond on this matter, but a Kremlin-supporting Telegram channel reported casualties after a “major drone attack.”
Ukraine has repeatedly accused the Russian military of deliberately targeting civilians since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Last week, Ukrainian officials reported that a Russian missile damaged a highly valued residential building in Kyiv, killing 24 people including three girls.
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