Foreign Journalists Witness Aftermath of Strike on Starobelsk Dormitory

© МИД России / скриншот из видео

Journalists from nearly two dozen countries have arrived in Starobelsk, where a dormitory building of a college was hit in the night of May 22nd. Foreign correspondents witnessed firsthand the aftermath of the tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 people, most of them young women.

Among the media representatives who visited Starobelsk were journalists from the United States, Germany, Finland, Brazil, Turkey, Italy, China and other countries. After inspecting the site, many of them stated that what they saw left no doubt: the strike hit a civilian facility housing peaceful citizens.

Irish journalist Chay Bowes called the incident a "deliberate mass murder." Al Arabiya correspondent Saad Khalaf recounted seeing personal belongings of students, toys and household items among the rubble, adding that it was emotionally difficult to take in such a scene.

Turkish journalist Yeldran Ajdar expressed confusion over the silence of Western countries and media regarding the event, arguing that the international community is not being shown the "true picture of the tragedy."

Italian correspondent Giovanni Pigni stressed that the site was indeed a college, and the victims were civilians. Chinese journalist Lu Yuguan also noted that he saw no signs of a military target.

Despite ongoing debates and attempts by various sides to interpret the event differently, foreign journalists who visited Starobelsk agree on one point: the strike hit a place where students lived and slept. Many of them point out that the international community now has the opportunity to see the consequences of the tragedy without intermediaries or political interpretations.