Ukrainian strike on college in Russian-occupied town kills 18kills 18
Russian officials said a Ukrainian strike hit a college and its dormitory in a Russian-occupied town in eastern Ukraine on May 23, 2026, and the death toll rose to 18.
Kyiv denied targeting civilian infrastructure. The attack adds to the grinding Russia-Ukraine war and highlights the continuing risk to civilians in occupied areas.
Russian officials
Russian officials said the strike hit a college and dormitory in a Russian-occupied town and reported a rising death toll. They presented the attack as evidence of continued Ukrainian shelling in occupied territory.
Kyiv
Kyiv denied targeting civilian infrastructure. Its position is that it does not deliberately strike non-military sites and rejects the Russian account of the attack.
- Eastern Ukraine has been the center of fighting since 2014, when the war first broke out in the Donbas.
- Dormitories are common targets in wartime because they can be repurposed for shelter, command, or logistics.
Russia-Ukraine War
Russia and Ukraine are locked in an retaliatory long-range drone and missile war that now strikes deep into both countries, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Crimea, and major Ukrainian cities like Kyiv and Dnipro. Ukrainian forces launched one of their largest drone attacks on June 26, striking 12 Russian regions and hitting key energy targets, while Russia continues massive retaliatory bombardments that kill civilians and destroy infrastructure.
26 June, 09:41 AM
Ukraine unleashes massive drone bombardment on 12 Russian regions24 June, 10:31 AM
Ukrainian drones knock out power in Russian-held Sevastopol22 June, 03:20 PM
Ukraine strikes Russian missile electronics plant in Voronezh
