Putin orders retaliation after Ukraine denies drone strike on Luhansk dormitory
Russian President Vladimir Putin vows retaliation after accusing Ukraine of a deadly drone strike on a student dormitory in Russian-occupied Luhansk, killing six and wounding dozens. The attack, which Moscow claims targeted a vocational school in Starobilsk, has escalated tensions as Kyiv denies responsibility, insisting its forces struck only military objectives—including an elite Russian drone unit, an oil refinery, and ammunition depots in the same region.
At an emergency UN Security Council meeting called by Russia, Ukraine’s ambassador, Andrii Melnyk, dismissed Moscow’s accusations as "a pure propaganda show," asserting that Friday’s operations exclusively hit "the Russian war machine." Putin, in a statement broadcast on state television, ordered his military to prepare retaliatory options, claiming Kyiv "must have known" civilians were present. Fifteen people remain unaccounted for, according to Russian officials.
The incident underscores the widening scope of Ukraine’s drone warfare, which has increasingly targeted deep behind Russian lines. On Friday, Ukrainian drones struck a chemical plant in Perm—over 1,600 km from the front—triggering fires and possible explosions, while a separate attack wounded two at an oil depot in Novorossiysk, Russia’s fifth-largest export hub. The Ukrainian Defence Ministry reported hitting 11 Russian oil facilities this month alone, including a refinery in Yaroslavl, 700 km from the border.
Kyiv’s allies have pushed back against Russian disinformation efforts to exploit the strikes. Nordic and Baltic nations (NB8) condemned Moscow’s claims that they permitted their airspace for Ukrainian drone operations, calling it a coordinated campaign to sow division. Despite stray drones entering NATO territory, Estonia and its partners reaffirmed support for Ukraine, with Czech President Petr Pavel urging the alliance to adopt "asymmetric responses"—such as cutting Russia’s internet access or financial systems—to counter Kremlin provocations.
The conflict’s escalation coincides with logistical challenges for Ukraine’s backers. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators demanded the Pentagon release $600 million in delayed security aid, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled a reduction in U.S. troop numbers in Europe, citing global commitments. Meanwhile, protests in Kyiv saw hundreds demand the government veto a bill that could prematurely declare missing soldiers dead, with over 90,000 Ukrainians currently listed as missing.
As Ukraine’s drone capabilities evolve—including "unjammable" models now appearing in Middle Eastern conflicts—the war’s frontlines blur. Russia’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, reported a fire at a Ukrainian electrical substation disrupted power to a nuclear plant, though no radiation leaks were detected. With Putin framing the Luhansk strike as "terrorism," the stage is set for further retaliatory measures, while Kyiv’s allies brace for Moscow’s next move.
> Background: **Ukraine drone strike kills civilians in occupied Luhansk, Russia demands UN meeting.** — *18 hours ago*
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Un complex chimic din Rusia a fost lovit de drone la peste 1.600 km de front: nori negri de fum ridicați deasupra instalației Un complex chimic din regiunea Perm, Rusia, a fost ținta unui atac cu drone, în urma căruia au fost raportate incendii și posibile explozii.
adevarul · 5 days ago
Ukrainian Drone Attack Sparks Fire at Russian Oil Depot Two people were wounded in an attack on Russias fifth largest oil export hub in Novorossiysk, the local mayor said.
themoscowtimes · 5 days ago
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brussels morning · 5 days ago
Estonia, other NB8 nations condemn Russian drone airspace misinformation claims The Nordic and Baltic (NB8) nations, including Estonia, have reiterated claims that they have allowed their airspace for drone strikes are part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
news.err · 6 days ago
Putin vows retaliation after accusing Ukraine of hitting student dormitory Ukraine said it hit Russias elite Rubicon drone military unit in a Moscow-occupied part of eastern Ukraine.
bbc · 6 days ago
Ukraine war briefing: Putin promises revenge after blaming Kyiv for Luhansk attack he says killed six Ukraine dismisses Russian presidents claim, saying attack on dormitory in Russian-controlled region in the east exclusively targeted the Russian war machine. What we know on day 1,550Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine for what he described as a deadly drone attack on a student dorm in Luhansk, a Russian-controlled region in eastern Ukraine, and has vowed to retaliate. Ukraines military denied the Russian accusations and said it had struck an elite drone command unit in the area. The Russian president said in a statement, carried by state TV on Friday, that he had ordered his military to prepare options to retaliate for the attack in Starobilsk that killed six people and wounded dozens, with 15 people still unaccounted for. He said Kyivs military must have known what it was targeting. At a UN security council emergency meeting called by Russia, Melnyk Andrii, the Ukrainian ambassador to the UN, rejeced his Russian counterparts accusations of war crimes, calling them a pure propaganda show. He added that the operations on Friday exclusively targeted the Russian war machine with strikes neutralising an oil refinery, which was fuelling occupation forces, ammunition depots, air defence assets, and also command centres.The Czech president, Petr Pavel, has urged Nato to show its teeth in response to Russias repeated testing of the alliances resolve on its eastern flank, suggesting a range of options including switching off its internet, cutting off its banks from global financial systems and shooting down jets that violate allied airspace. Speaking to the Guardian in Prague, Pavel called for decisive enough, potentially even asymmetric responses to counter Moscows provocative behaviour against the alliance or risk the Kremlin intensifying its actions.The UNs nuclear watchdog said on Friday that Ukrainian authorities had advised that a fire had broken out at the Dniprovska 750-kilovolt electrical substation due to military activity, causing a nuclear power station to be partially disconnected from off-site power. The International Atomic Energy Agency said firefighters were tackling the fire but an operating nuclear power plant was partially disconnected from its off site power supplies at the request of the grid operator.Falling debris from drones has triggered a fire at an oil terminal in Russias Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, injuring two people and damaging several technical and administrative buildings, officials said early on Saturday. The injured men had been in the street when the drones attacked the port and were being treated in hospital. Ukrainian forces on Friday also attacked a Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl, about 700km from the border. The Ukrainian Defence Ministry said on X on Friday that Ukraine hit 11 Russian oil facilities this month as of 21 May, including Kirishi, one of Russias largest refineries.Hundreds of Ukrainians have marched through Kyiv to demand that the government veto a bill they say could prematurely declare missing soldiers dead. The protest in Ukraines capital on Friday targeted Bill No. 13646 which addresses the legal status of missing persons. More than 90,000 people are listed as missing in Ukraines registry.US troop numbers in Europe are expected to drop from 80,000 after a review reflecting wider commitments, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Friday. In Helsingborg, Sweden for a Nato foreign ministers meeting, Rubio said it was well understood in the alliance that the United States troop presence in Europe is going to be adjusted … you know, we have obligations in the Indo-Pacific, we have obligations in the Middle East, we have obligations in the western hemisphere. Last week, the Pentagon said it would halt the rotation of 4,000 more into Poland, only for Trump to apparently reverse that on Thursday night on social media, in a hasty announcement that appeared to catch the Pentagon by surprise.A bipartisan group of US senators is pushing back on delays by the Department of Defense in sending about $600m in security aid to Ukraine and other allies in eastern Europe. They sent a letter to defense secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday that calls for the funding to be disbursed. Friction has grown between Congress and the Trump administration in recent weeks as lawmakers push for updates on what has happened to $400m in Ukraine aid and $200m more for defense programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that was allocated by Congress last year. Continue reading...
theguardian · 6 days ago
Putin acuză Ucraina de atac „terorist asupra unei școli din Luhansk soldat cu 6 morți și zeci de răniți. „Nu a fost un accident Rusia a cerut convocarea Consiliului de Securitate al ONU după un atac cu drone al Ucrainei asupra unei școli profesionale din orașul Starobilsk, în regiunea Luhansk aflată sub control rus, soldat cu cel puțin șase morți și zeci de răniți.
adevarul · 6 days ago
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politico.eu · 6 days ago
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news.yahoo.com · 6 days ago
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independent · 6 days ago
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lrt · 6 days ago