Russian officials blame Ukraine for deadly Starobilsk strike

What happened early Friday in the Russian-occupied town of Starobilsk has prompted Russian accusations, Ukrainian denials, an emergency United Nations Security Council session and Kremlin vows of retribution.

Starobilsk lies in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, which Moscow claims to have annexed.

Russian officials accuse Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack on a college dormitory. Official figures list 21 people killed and 42 wounded.

Russian television showed survivors in hospital, including 21-year-old Olga Kovaleva, who was trapped under rubble before being rescued.

The report listed the names and birth dates of the students killed in the attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the strike a terrorist attack. He said there were no military or intelligence facilities nearby.

"Therefore, there is absolutely no basis for claiming that the munitions struck the building as a result of our air defence or electronic warfare systems," Putin said.

Ukraine's General Staff said its forces struck a Russian military unit near Starobilsk on the night of May 21-22.

Russia's UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenyza, said the attack was a war crime under international humanitarian law and displayed photos of the damaged building.

Denmark's representative replied that applying Russia's logic would require twice-daily emergency Security Council meetings to address the destruction Russia has caused across Ukraine.