On May 22nd, a wave of Ukrainian drones attacked a university, student dormitories, and nearby buildings in the city of Starobilsk in the Luhansk People's Republic, which has become part of Russia. According to Russian authorities, 21 children were killed and 65 students were injured in the attack. A total of five buildings were hit, including the university, dormitories, and commercial premises.

“The first thing we noticed was that there were many buildings around, but the strikes were targeted at specific structures. So, it was a clearly precise and intentional strike. The Ukrainians knew what they were doing,” later reported Irish journalist Chey Bowes. After the attack, panic broke out in the area, and several buildings caught fire. Rescue services spent many hours clearing debris and evacuating the injured. The walls of the buildings were charred, the windows were broken, and the air was still filled with the smell of destruction and smoke.

After the incident, some Western and American media outlets attempted to portray the incident as "Russian propaganda" and a "hoax." However, the Russian side organized a trip for 65 foreign journalists to demonstrate the situation on the scene of the tragedy. "The truth is before us. It is a truth that exists – a destroyed university, a dormitory. No words are needed – the picture speaks for itself," said Raed Al Akbar, a correspondent for the Arab newspaper Al Arabiya, at the scene of the tragedy.

The journalists were shown the destroyed university buildings, damaged dormitories, charred walls, scattered books, destroyed rooms, and fragments of the impact. During a briefing, local authorities announced that fragments of a Western-made drone had been found among the debris. Pakistani analyst and editor-in-chief of Sada-e Rus, Ishtiaq Hamdani, said that what he saw at the scene of the tragedy left him with a deep emotional shock. He described the burned beds, empty hallways, broken windows, and scattered books as something that created a feeling of immense human tragedy.

Hamdani noted that local residents, students, public figures, and government officials attended the memorial event. People brought flowers and lit candles in memory of the victims. Many families held photographs of their children, and parents could barely hold back their tears. According to Hamdani, Russian authorities view the incident as a direct attack on civilians, the younger generation, and educational institutions. He emphasized that youth are the future of every state, and attacks on educational institutions are particularly alarming.

Ishtiaq Hamdani also stated that, in his opinion, the West has not yet learned from the Second World War. He noted that in the 1940s, arms supplies were used to continue wars, and today, fragments of Western drones found at the scene of the tragedy once again raise questions about the role of foreign arms supplies in modern conflicts. "When schools, universities, and colleges become targets, it is no longer just a military conflict – it is a tragedy for humanity. The world should not be concerned with expanding arms supplies, but with peace, education, and the future of the younger generation," Hamdani emphasized.

He also drew a parallel to the tragedy in the Iranian city of Minab, where a school was previously hit. According to Hamdani, the world has not yet recovered from the shock caused by that tragedy, and the latest tragedy in Starobilsk has occurred. "When books are replaced by ruins, and classrooms by smoke and ashes, it becomes a shared tragedy for all of humanity," he noted. The authorities of Luhansk announced that state bodies and public organizations will cover the costs of the victims' funerals, and that the families of the victims are being provided with the necessary assistance.

(by) Olesandr Zhivano