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Ukrainian drones struck a college dormitory in the Russian-occupied region of Lugansk early yesterday, killing six people and wounding dozens of others, Russian officials said but Kyiv denied targeting civilians.As many as 15 others remained missing as of Friday afternoon, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in televised comments, describing the incident as a "terrorist" attack.Putin ordered his defence ministry to prepare a response, without elaborating.The Lugansk region is in east Ukraine, but is almost entirely occupied by Russia, which claims it as its own.Images released by the region's Russian-installed governor showed what appeared to be a college in the town of Starobilsk with its windows blown out, flames visible in one of them."Enemy drones attacked the academic building and dormitory of Starobelsk Professional College," Moscow-installed governor Leonid Pasechnik said in a post on Russia's MAX messenger, using the Russian name for the town."At the time of the strike, 86 children aged 14 to 18 were there," he added.Ukraine's General Staff said on Friday it had hit a Russian military unit's headquarters around Starobilsk, denying it had targeted civilians and called Moscow's allegations "manipulative information".It said its forces had struck "one of the headquarters of the 'Rubikon' unit in the area of the city of Starobilsk", adding that the unit was involved in carrying out strikes on Ukrainian civilians."The Armed Forces of Ukraine carry out strikes on military infrastructure and facilities used for military purposes, strictly adhering to the norms of international humanitarian law, and the laws and customs of war," it added in a statement.Starobilsk lies about 65 kilometres (40 miles) from the front line in east Ukraine.Russian forces captured the town in 2022, shortly after launching their full-scale offensive.AFP was not able to immediately verify information about the college that was hit.— 'No leniency' —Putin said the attack took place as the students were sleeping."At the moment, it is known that six people were killed, 39 were wounded and 15 people are unaccounted for, as the search through the rubble is still ongoing," he said in televised comments."There are no military facilities, special services, or related services near the dormitory," he added.Russia's foreign ministry said that those responsible would face "face inevitable and severe punishment"."There will be no leniency," it said.Russia's Investigative Committee accused the Ukrainian military of having fired multiple drones at the building."As a result of the attack, the five-storey building collapsed to the second floor," it said.Ukraine, which denies targeting civilians, regularly fires drones at Russian-controlled areas in retaliation for mass Russian strikes on its own people.The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has recorded more than 60,000 civilian casualties since 2022, almost 90 % of which were in areas controlled by Ukraine.A massive Russian attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv last week killed 24 people, including three children, according to Ukrainian authorities.Russia fired more than 100 drones at Ukraine between late Thursday and early yesterday, according to the Ukrainian air force. 

Pokrovsk key to Ukraine's defence of Donetsk regionUkraine says Russia placed main strike force in areaAbout 200 Russian military in city, Kyiv saysRussia says assault groups trying to advance near train stationUkraine is rushing to strengthen its positions in the strategic eastern transport hub of Pokrovsk as about 200 Russian troops have infiltrated the city in small groups, Kyiv's military said on Monday.The Ukrainian general staff, which made the estimate of enemy forces, reported small arms firefights and the active deployment of drones. The Russian defence ministry said that its assault groups were trying to advance near the train station."There is fierce fighting in the city and on the approaches to the city... Logistics are difficult. But we must continue to destroy the occupiers," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday.Russia has been aiming to occupy Pokrovsk, a key part of Kyiv's defensive lines, for months, seeing it as a crucial point for its push to fully capture the Donetsk region.Its forces have renewed their attempts in the wake of a failed push by US President Donald Trump to secure a ceasefire, Ukrainian officials say.The 7th Rapid Response Unit of Ukraine's airborne troops on Monday said that the positions in the city have been strengthened in recent days as urban fighting continued."The occupiers, who have entered the city, are not trying to take hold, but intend to advance further north," the unit said in a Facebook post. "In doing so, the enemy wants to disperse our defence forces and block land logistics corridors."Russia has concentrated its main strike force against the city, according to Zelenskiy.Zelenskiy, citing Ukrainian intelligence, told US media outlet Axios that Russian President Vladimir Putin had privately claimed that Moscow would capture the entire Donbas, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk regions, by October 15. Reuters could not independently verify the claim.The Ukrainian open-source mapping project Deep State in the past week has reduced the area to the southwest of Pokrovsk that it considers under Ukrainian control, increasing the area "requiring clarification" to around one-fifth of the city.Russia controls about 75% of the Donetsk region. About 6,600 square kilometres is still under Ukraine's control.Moscow's troops regularly report incremental gains in the region but they have failed to secure any strategic breakthrough for over a year now.