What we know about Starobilsk strike Russia turned into propaganda flashpoint (opens original article in a new tab)

A Ukrainian drone strike on Russian-occupied Starobilsk led to conflicting claims about civilian casualties, with Russia using the incident for propaganda and Ukraine denying targeting civilians.

• Russian officials claimed 21 students were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on Starobilsk, while Ukraine denied targeting civilians.
• Ukrainian investigators found 19 of 21 victims' social media accounts matching the Russian list, with no activity after the attack.
• Russian state media highlighted victims as minors, but the list showed they were 18-22 years old.