Russia: Russia on Thursday welcomed a statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk to investigate a strike on the city of Starobilsk in Ukraine's Luhansk region, currently under Russia's control, and hold those responsible accountable.

According to Anadolu Agency, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said it was 'extremely important' that the tragedy was noticed and publicly condemned by one of the highest-ranking international officials in the field of human rights protection. She emphasized the significance of the UN's involvement, calling it a 'fundamentally important signal.'

Lantratova reported that she traveled to Starobilsk immediately after the attack, made public appeals to the international community, and sent official letters to various UN bodies, urging them to assess the attack and support an objective investigation. She also expressed gratitude to foreign journalists who visited Starobilsk at the invitation of the Russian Foreign Ministry, acknowledging their role in witnessing the aftermath and reporting on the incident.

Lantratova also criticized the silence from other international organizations and officials. She expressed hope that following Turk's statement, more international human rights bodies would publicly condemn what she described as a 'barbaric terrorist attack against children.'

The attack on a college in Starobilsk on the night of May 22 resulted in the deaths of 22 individuals and injured more than 50. All of the victims were students of the college.