Putin: Ukraine attack on Starobilsk gave the war a new character

Russian president Vladimir Putin convened a meeting following a Ukrainian missile attack on a Starobilsk college building, calling it a turning point in the war. Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow is preparing a new massive assault.

Russian president Vladimir Putin convened an emergency meeting in connection with a Ukrainian missile attack on a Starobilsk college building. According to Putin, this strike gave the war a new quality, which he characterised as a new level of escalation.

Two opposing messages

Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia is preparing a new massive attack against Ukraine. Zelensky called on allies to increase air defence assistance, emphasising that Moscow intends to conduct large-scale bombing raids in the near term.

Starobilsk is located in Luhansk Oblast, which is under Russian occupation. The precise circumstances of the attack — including the number of casualties and weapons used — have not yet been fully confirmed. The Russian side has accused Ukraine of attacking a civilian facility, while Kyiv maintains that it targeted a military object.

The war's further course

The statements from both leaders suggest that the war in Ukraine is entering a new, potentially even more dangerous phase. The Ukrainian Air Force has reported in recent weeks an intensification of Russian air raids, which makes Zelensky's warning particularly concerning.