Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed retaliation after accusing Ukraine of carrying out a deadly drone attack on a student dormitory in the occupied eastern Ukrainian town of Starobilsk in the Luhansk region.

According to Russian authorities, six people were killed and 39 others injured in the overnight strike, while 15 people remain missing. Moscow claimed the attack targeted a civilian student residence and was carried out in three waves involving 16 drones.

Speaking during a reception at the Kremlin on Friday, Putin rejected suggestions that Russian air defence systems may have caused the destruction. He stated that there were no military or intelligence facilities near the building and insisted the strike directly hit the dormitory.

“There are no military facilities, intelligence service facilities, or related services in the vicinity,” Putin said. He further ordered the Russian military to prepare proposals for retaliatory measures against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military confirmed it had struck the headquarters of Russia’s elite Rubicon drone military unit in Starobilsk. However, Kyiv did not specify whether the targeted site was the same building identified by Russian officials as the damaged dormitory.

Russian state television later aired footage of injured residents, including a 19-year-old student identified as Diana Shovkun.

The latest incident adds to escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine as both sides continue to exchange drone and missile attacks amid the prolonged conflict.