Ukrainian drones struck a college dormitory in the Russian-occupied region of Lugansk early on Friday, killing six people and wounding dozens of others, Russian officials claimed. 

As many as 15 others remained missing as of Friday afternoon, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in televised comments, describing the incident as a “terrorist” attack. 

Putin ordered his defence ministry to prepare a response, without elaborating. 

Kyiv denied targeting civilians. 

The Lugansk region is in east Ukraine, but is almost entirely occupied by Russia, which claims it as its own. 

Images released by the region’s Russian-installed governor showed what appeared to be a college in the town of Starobilsk with its windows blown out, flames visible in one of them. 

Moscow-installed governor Leonid Pasechnik - using the Russian name for the town - said in a post on Russia’s MAX messenger: “Enemy drones attacked the academic building and dormitory of Starobelsk Professional College. At the time of the strike, 86 children aged 14 to 18 were there.” 

Ukraine’s General Staff said on Friday it had hit a Russian military unit’s headquarters around Starobilsk, denying it had targeted civilians and called Moscow’s allegations “manipulative information”. 

It said its forces had struck “one of the headquarters of the Rubikon unit in the area of the city of Starobilsk”, adding that the unit was involved in carrying out strikes on Ukrainian civilians. 

Starobilsk lies about 65 kilometres from the front line in east Ukraine. Russian forces captured the town in 2022, shortly after launching their full-scale offensive. 

Putin said the attack took place as the students were sleeping, adding: “At the moment, it is known that six people were killed, 39 were wounded and 15 people are unaccounted for, as the search through the rubble is still ongoing. 

“There are no military facilities, special services, or related services near the dormitory.” 

Russia’s foreign ministry said that those responsible would “face inevitable and severe punishment... There will be no leniency”. 

- AFP