Vladimir Putin has vowed retaliation after accusing Ukraine of carrying out a deadly drone strike on a student dormitory in the occupied town of Starobilsk in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region.

According to Russian authorities, six people were killed and 39 others injured in the overnight attack, while another 15 people remain missing. Putin said the strike was conducted in three waves using 16 drones.

Speaking at a reception in the Kremlin in Moscow on Friday, Putin insisted the targeted building was purely civilian and denied claims that military infrastructure nearby may have contributed to the incident.

“There are no military facilities, intelligence service facilities or related services in the vicinity,” Putin said.

“Therefore, there is absolutely no basis for claiming that the munitions struck the building as a result of our air defence or electronic warfare systems,” he added.

The Russian president instructed the military to prepare “proposals” for retaliatory action following the attack.

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

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

The incident is expected to further heighten tensions between Russia and Ukraine as both sides continue to exchange drone and missile strikes amid the ongoing conflict.