Putin vows retaliation after Ukraine drone strike on student dorm

President Vladimir Putin has pledged a strong response after Ukrainian drones struck a student dormitory in Starobilsk, Luhansk region, killing six and injuring 39, with 15 still unaccounted for. The Kremlin-installed local officials released images of the devastation, showing a collapsed building and rescue efforts underway.

Putin asserted that the attack, carried out in three waves with 16 drones, could not have been a result of Russian air defense or electronic warfare systems, as there were no military facilities in the vicinity. He has ordered the military to prepare proposals for retaliation.

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There are no military facilities, intelligence service facilities, or related services in the vicinity. Therefore, there is absolutely no basis for claiming that the munitions struck the building as a result of our air defence or electronic warfare systems.

While Ukraine's military later confirmed striking the headquarters of Russia's elite Rubicon drone unit, they maintained adherence to international humanitarian law and accused the unit of regularly targeting civilians. This incident follows a Ukrainian claim of hitting an FSB headquarters in Kherson the previous day. Russia continues to deny deliberately targeting civilians, a charge Ukraine frequently levels against Moscow since the full-scale invasion.

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are causing damage to military infrastructure and facilities used for military purposes, strictly adhering to the norms of international humanitarian law, laws and customs of war