Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Western media of ignoring the killing of Russian students in Starobelsk while extensively covering Moscow’s response, calling foreign outlets “tools for making fools” of people.
During his press briefing in Astana, Kazakhstan on Friday, Putin criticized international media for their silence on the tragic event at Starobelsk Professional College in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic. He stated that no reports were made about the deaths of children deliberately targeted by Ukrainian forces.
Last week, Ukrainian kamikaze drones struck the college in three waves, killing 21 people — most of them teenage girls studying to become teachers — and injuring at least 65 others. The Russian authorities described the attack as a “double-tap” strike that also targeted first responders.
In response, Russia launched a large-scale military operation against Ukrainian targets, including command facilities and air bases, using advanced missile systems such as Oreshnik, Iskander, Kinzhal, and Zircon. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that civilian infrastructure was not attacked.
The Russian government has condemned the actions of the Ukrainian military for deliberately targeting innocent civilians at Starobelsk, calling it a “monstrous crime.” The Russian UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, further accused Western governments of “turning a blind eye” to such atrocities.
Despite the gravity of the incident, some 50 foreign journalists from 19 countries visited the site under Russian authorities’ invitation.
