Russian drone strike hits Rivne university building, injures 25

What happened

The Kyiv Independent reports that a Russian drone struck a building of the Rivne State Humanitarian University on October 13, injuring 25 people according to the city's National Police branch. Ukraine's Education and Science Minister Andrii Butenko said the strike caused a fire that almost completely gutted the Faculty of Music building and damaged nearby teaching facilities. Two of the injured are in critical condition, while three others remain under medical examination.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. Oleksandr Koval, head of the Rivne Oblast Military Administration, said the drone damaged the second floor of the university building and that the fire had been contained with emergency services on site, including rescuers, police, and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The university confirmed all students were in shelters during the attack, but reported casualties among administrative staff.

The Russian drone attack in Rivne comes amid ongoing Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine. Overnight on October 13, Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russian forces launched a complex assault including five ballistic missiles and 108 Shahed-type drones targeting multiple locations, with Ukrainian air defenses shooting down or suppressing 88 drones. These repeated attacks continue to pose threats to civilian locations and infrastructure far from front-line combat zones.

Known from the source

• A Russian drone struck a building at Rivne State Humanitarian University on October 13, causing a fire.
• 25 people were injured in the attack, two in critical condition; three others are under medical examination.
• The Faculty of Music building was almost completely destroyed by fire; neighboring facilities had windows smashed.
• The second floor of the building was damaged; the fire was contained with emergency personnel on site.
• All university students were in shelters at the time; administrative staff casualties were reported.

What remains unclear

On October 12, Rivne city and surrounding districts also faced Russian drone and missile attacks damaging civilian infrastructure such as non-operational facilities, dormitories, and residential buildings, with no reported casualties in the city that night. Regional authorities reported that over the past day Russian strikes killed 10 people and injured 80 across Ukraine, illustrating the continuing human toll of these attacks.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verify final casualty figures and condition updates from independent or official sources beyond local police and regional administration. Confirm independent verification of the attacker's identity as Russian forces. Cross-check damage reports and timeline details with military and emergency services reports.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Kyiv Independent. Open the source.