Senior European Union officials and several leaders of EU member states have strongly criticized Russia following the latest exchange of strikes between Moscow and Kiev, but their statements made no mention of the deadly Ukrainian drone attack on a college dormitory that preceded Russia’s retaliation.
According to Russian authorities, at least 21 people were killed and around 60 others injured after Ukrainian drones struck the main academic building and student dormitory of the Starobelsk Professional College in the Lugansk People’s Republic overnight between Thursday and Friday. Officials said the victims were mostly teenage girls residing in the dormitory at the time of the attack.
Moscow responded early Sunday with what the Russian Defense Ministry described as a “massive strike” against military-related targets across Ukraine, including in Kiev. Russian forces reportedly used a range of advanced weapon systems during the operation, including the intermediate-range hypersonic Oreshnik missile system, Iskander ballistic missiles, as well as Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles.
The Russian military stated that the strikes targeted Ukrainian military command centers, airfields, and facilities linked to the country’s defense industry. Moscow has insisted that its operation was aimed at military infrastructure rather than civilian sites.
Following the strikes, several European leaders condemned Russia’s actions. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Moscow of demonstrating “brutality and disregard for both human life and peace negotiations.” In a statement posted on X, she also claimed that Russian forces had targeted civilians in Ukraine — allegations Russia has denied.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas similarly criticized Moscow, describing the strikes as a form of “political scare tactic.” French President Emmanuel Macron pledged continued support for the Ukrainian government, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned what he called a “reckless escalation” by Russia.
However, none of the statements issued by these European leaders referred to the earlier Ukrainian drone strike on the college dormitory in Starobelsk, which Russian officials say triggered Moscow’s retaliatory response.
Russia has repeatedly accused Western governments and media outlets of ignoring attacks carried out by Ukrainian forces against civilians in Russian-controlled territories. Moscow’s envoy to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, previously accused Western diplomats of “turning a blind eye” to what he described as crimes committed by the “neo-Nazi Kiev regime.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also claimed on Sunday that several international media organizations declined invitations to visit the site of the dormitory attack. According to Zakharova, both the BBC and CNN rejected Moscow’s proposal to send journalists to Starobelsk to cover the aftermath of the strike.
She further alleged that Japanese authorities explicitly prohibited reporters from traveling to the location, though no independent confirmation of the claim has been provided.
The latest exchange of accusations comes amid continuing tensions between Russia and Western governments over the conflict in Ukraine, with both sides accusing the other of targeting civilians and manipulating international narratives surrounding the war.