Key facts
- Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Starobilsk strike a "bloody crime of the Ukrainian junta."
- Putin ordered assistance for all affected by the Starobilsk strike.
- A Ukrainian drone strike hit a bus in Yenakiieve, Donetsk region.
- Eight civilians were killed and 11 injured in the Yenakiieve bus strike.
- Russian officials condemned the Yenakiieve bus strike as a deliberate crime.
- Ukraine has not officially commented on the Yenakiieve bus strike.
- Russia's Foreign Ministry criticized Western media for ignoring a Starobelsk college dorm attack.
- 21 people were reportedly killed in the Starobelsk college dorm attack.
- Ukraine's Security Service called the Chornobyl strike a war crime.
- Russia's strike damaged infrastructure at the Chornobyl nuclear facility.
- A Russian hypersonic missile reportedly struck Russian targets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly condemned a strike on Starobilsk, calling it a "bloody crime of the Ukrainian junta." He expressed condolences to the victims and pledged that those responsible would be punished. Putin also ordered that all affected individuals receive assistance. This condemnation comes in the wake of a Ukrainian drone strike that hit a passenger bus in Yenakiieve, located in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region. The attack resulted in the deaths of eight civilians and left 11 others injured. Russian officials have characterized this incident as a deliberate crime. Ukraine has not issued an official comment on the Yenakiieve bus strike. The incident occurs amidst a backdrop of recent large-scale Russian attacks targeting Ukraine.
Further complicating the narrative, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has criticized Western media outlets, specifically naming the BBC and CNN, for their alleged lack of coverage regarding a Ukrainian drone attack on a college dorm in Starobelsk. This attack reportedly resulted in the deaths of 21 people. Zakharova stated that both media organizations had rejected invitations to visit the site of the alleged attack.
In a separate development, Ukraine's Security Service has declared Russia's strike on a spent nuclear fuel storage facility in Chornobyl a war crime. The strike caused damage to critical infrastructure at the Chornobyl site. Additionally, reports have emerged suggesting that a new hypersonic missile deployed by Russia may have inadvertently struck Russian targets, an event experts believe to be a significant blunder.
There are conflicting reports and accusations regarding attacks and their perpetrators. Russia accuses Ukraine of a "bloody crime" in Starobilsk and a "deliberate crime" in Yenakiieve. Ukraine, in turn, labels the Chornobyl strike a war crime and has not officially commented on the Yenakiieve incident. Western media is accused by Russia of ignoring certain events while covering others.