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E3 vows to step up support for Ukraine following Starobelsk attack

According to the statement, "the leaders confirmed they would double down on their support" for the Ukrainian authorities "in the coming months"

LONDON, May 22. /TASS/. The E3 countries (the UK, Germany, and France) will step up support for Ukraine in the coming months, according to a statement from the office of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, released following online talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Vladimir Zelensky.

According to the statement, "the leaders confirmed they would double down on their support" for the Ukrainian authorities "in the coming months." The document was released after a Ukrainian attack on a college in Starobelsk in the Lugansk People's Republic.

In the early morning hours of May 22, the Ukrainian armed forces used drones to attack the Starobelsk college's academic building and dormitory. Eighty-six children and young people aged 14 to 18 were present at the time of the strike. According to preliminary data, four people were killed in the attack, and 39 people were injured.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the strike was not accidental, as evidenced by the 16 drones launched by the Ukrainian military. He instructed the Russian Defense Ministry to develop proposals for retaliatory measures.

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