Russia blames Ukraine, vows retaliation as 16 killed in strike on student dorm

Russia’s emergency ministry reported the death toll from a drone strike on a student dormitory in Starobilsk, Luhansk region, had risen to 16, with five people still trapped under rubble. Most victims were identified as 19-year-old women, according to a preliminary list released by Leonid Pasechnik, head of the Russian-installed administration in the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military retaliation after Moscow accused Ukraine of the attack, which Kyiv denied, stating it struck an elite drone command unit in the area. At the U.N. Security Council meeting, Russia accused Ukraine of war crimes, while Ukraine dismissed the claim as unverified. Several countries urged access to the site, following a recent Russian missile attack on a U.N. warehouse in Ukraine that killed two aid workers. The attack left a large crater in the dormitory, with debris and dust covering desks in a shattered classroom. Ukraine’s military claimed responsibility for separate drone strikes on Russia’s oil infrastructure, including the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and a chemical plant in Perm. Russian officials reported injuries from falling debris at an oil terminal in Novorossiysk, while Perm’s governor stated no damage occurred after drones were shot down. Both sides continue to deny targeting civilians, despite repeated strikes on infrastructure and energy supplies. The incident escalates tensions as Ukraine intensifies attacks on Russian oil facilities, while Russia targets Ukrainian power grids. Thousands of Ukrainians have died in air strikes far from the front lines, where Russian forces control about a fifth of the country’s southeast. The U.N. condemned all civilian attacks, emphasizing the need for independent verification of claims.