ISLAMABAD: Russian Ambassador Albert P Khorev on Tuesday delivered an emergency briefing at the Russian Embassy, addressing developments in the Ukraine conflict and alleging a series of attacks by Ukrainian forces on civilian targets.
The ambassador said the extraordinary briefing was prompted by an incident on the night of May 22 in Starobilsk, located in the northeastern part of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic.
According to him, Ukrainian drones struck a student dormitory and an academic building affiliated with Luhansk Pedagogical University. He claimed that 86 young people were present at the time of the attack, resulting in the deaths of 21 students, including 18 girls and three boys, all under the age of 23, while more than 60 others were injured.
Ambassador of Russia Albert P Khorev informed representatives of the Pakistani media about Moscow’s decision taken in this regard to give a new quality to its military actions in Ukraine, which will henceforth be directed at decision-making centres, command posts, and enterprises of the Ukrainian defence industry, including in Kyiv, and will be consistent and systematic in nature.
During the briefing, the envoy also gave an assessment of the latest “outrageous, bordering on madness” attacks by the Ukrainian army on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and the city of Energodar, the cynical drone strikes in the cities of Yenakiyevo and Genichesk, as well as attempts to disrupt the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Albert Khorev described the incident as a violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and termed it a “red line” that had led Russia to intensify its military operations.
He referred to a statement issued by Russia’s Foreign Ministry on May 25, announcing targeted strikes on Ukraine’s military-industrial facilities, including drone production and command centres.
He further stated that Russia carried out a series of retaliatory strikes beginning on May 24 using various missile systems, claiming that Ukraine’s air defence was unable to intercept most of them.
Additional strikes on June 2 reportedly targeted military infrastructure, fuel depots and logistics facilities in several Ukrainian cities.
The ambassador criticised Western countries for what he described as ignoring the Starobilsk incident while condemning Russia’s response, accusing them of applying double standards and prolonging the conflict through continued military support to Kyiv.
He also expressed concern over alleged attacks near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, including drone strikes that he said posed risks to nuclear safety. Khorev urged international organisations, particularly the International Atomic Energy Agency, to assess the situation impartially.
Highlighting other incidents, he claimed that shelling and drone attacks in late May and early June resulted in civilian casualties, including the death of a five-year-old child in Kherson region.
He also accused Ukrainian forces of attempting to disrupt the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum through drone strikes, which he said were successfully repelled.
The Russian envoy reiterated that Russia sought to minimise harm to civilians and called on foreign nationals to leave Kyiv for safety reasons.
He appreciated Pakistan’s “balanced and constructive” stance on the conflict and concluded by inviting attendees to a memorial exhibition for the victims of the Starobilsk incident.
Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2026