Attack on Luhansk residence qualitatively changes Ukraine war, according to Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that a Ukrainian attack on a student dormitory in Luhansk, which resulted in 21 deaths including minors, has qualitatively escalated the war in Ukraine. Putin characterized the incident as a "grave crime" committed consciously by Kyiv's leadership.

During a meeting focused on the investigation into the attack on the Starobilsk Pedagogical University, Putin was briefed on the progress of identifying those responsible and the condition of the injured. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that 63 people were injured and 21 died in what Putin termed a "terrorist attack."

In response to the Luhansk dormitory attack, the Russian military launched a large-scale assault involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, and approximately a thousand drones. Russia announced a campaign of strikes targeting command centers and military industry enterprises in Kyiv.

Additionally, Russian authorities urged foreign citizens and diplomatic personnel to leave the Ukrainian capital as soon as possible. This escalation follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's warning on May 29 about potential new massive Russian attacks amid the ongoing conflict.