Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised retaliation after accusing Ukraine of carrying out a deadly attack on a student dormitory in the occupied town of Starobilsk in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk region.

Speaking at a reception in his Kremlin residence, Putin claimed the attack was carried out in three waves using 16 drones, killing six people, injuring 39, and leaving 15 missing. He asserted there were no military facilities nearby, dismissing suggestions that the building was hit by Russian air defense.

Kremlin-installed local officials released photos of a collapsed building and rescuers searching through rubble. The BBC has not been able to independently verify the incident. Russia's state TV showed an injured student identified as 19-year-old Diana Shovkun, but no footage of the deceased was shown.

Ukraine's military admitted to the strike, stating it targeted the headquarters of Russia's elite Rubicon drone unit in Starobilsk. The statement emphasized that Ukrainian forces adhere strictly to international humanitarian law and target only military infrastructure.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed a strike on the FSB headquarters in the occupied Kherson region killed or wounded about 100 Russian 'occupiers.' Moscow has not commented on that claim, though a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel reported 'casualties' from a 'massive drone strike.'

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians since the 2022 invasion, a charge Moscow denies. Last week, a Russian missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv killed 24 people, including three girls.

Source: www.bbc.com