Russia launched its retaliation last night, for the Starobelsk trade school massacre on Friday, May 22. “In response to terrorist attacks launched by Ukraine against civilian objects in Russia, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike by Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Iskander air-launched ballistic missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles, and Tsirkon cruise missiles, air-, sea-, and ground-based cruise missiles as well as attack unmanned aerial vehicles against military command and control facilities, air bases, and enterprises of the Ukrainian defence industry,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, issued mid-day Moscow time. “The targets were defeated, all the assigned facilities were neutralized.”
The Russian Emergencies Ministry announced late May 23 that it had completed search operations at the Starobelsk trade school dormitory with the recovery of the last five bodies from under the rubble, bringing the death toll to 21. “Search operations in Starobelsk at the site of the dormitory collapse have been completed. All the bodies of the victims have been recovered from the rubble,” it said in a statement, reported TASS.
A later Russian statement indicated that among the targets hit on May 24 during the strike in Kiev and Kiev region were facilities of the Ukrainian defense industry; military infrastructure, as well as command posts of the General Command of the Ukrainian Ground Forces; the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine; and other command posts of the AFU. No strikes were planned or carried out against the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine.
