Putin vows retaliation after alleged Ukrainian drone strike in occupied Luhansk

President Vladimir Putin has declared that Russia will respond forcefully to a purported Ukrainian drone attack on a student dormitory in Luhansk, a region of eastern Ukraine under Russian control. According to Russian officials, the strike resulted in six fatalities and 39 injuries, with an additional 15 individuals unaccounted for. The Ukrainian military, however, asserts that the target was the headquarters of the Rubicon, an elite drone unit within the Russian military, and has not confirmed if it was the same building Russia identified as a student dormitory.

Putin dismissed claims that the building could have been hit due to Russian air defense or electronic warfare systems, emphasizing that no military or intelligence facilities were in the vicinity. He has instructed the Russian military to propose retaliatory measures. State television showed footage of what it identified as a 19-year-old female student injured by a falling concrete slab.

Ukraine maintains that its forces target only military infrastructure and facilities used for military purposes, adhering to international law and the rules of war. This assertion comes amid repeated accusations by Ukraine that Russia deliberately targets civilians since the full-scale invasion in 2022, accusations that Russia consistently denies. The conflict continues to see both sides engage in reciprocal accusations regarding civilian harm.

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There are no military facilities, intelligence facilities or associated services nearby.