Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov of Russia's Belgorod region, which shares a border with Ukraine, reported that one woman lost her life, 29 individuals sustained injuries, and numerous flats were damaged due to the ongoing attacks from Ukraine. In a statement made on the Telegram messaging app on Saturday, Governor Gladkov mentioned that the Ukrainian armed forces heavily bombarded the city of Belgorod and the surrounding region. The exact timing of the shelling was not specified.
The Russian defense ministry announced via Telegram on Sunday that their air defense forces successfully intercepted two Soviet-era conventional ballistic missiles launched by Ukrainian forces over the Belgorod region in Russia's southwest. Reuters could not verify the information independently, and Ukraine has not responded immediately
Kyiv officials have stated that their attacks are not aimed at civilians, but rather at Russia's military, energy, and transport infrastructure. The purpose of these attacks is to undermine Moscow's war effort and retaliate against Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. According to Gladkov, approximately 300 flats in 85 apartment buildings and four commercial properties were damaged. Additionally, four roofs of apartment buildings were directly hit.
He also mentioned that a city hospital, a children's regional hospital, a school, and two sports facilities suffered damage. Gladkov further warned that Belgorod city, the administrative center of the region, faced an increased risk of Ukrainian attack, with the entire region being on high alert for air raids.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted in 2014 following the ousting of a pro-Russian president during Ukraine's Maidan Revolution and the subsequent annexation of Crimea by Russia. This led to clashes between Russian-backed separatist forces and Ukraine's armed forces.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), approximately 14,000 individuals lost their lives in the region between 2014 and the conclusion of 2021, with 3,106 of them being civilians.
Recently, Russian troops initiated a new offensive in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, which shares a border with Russia's Belgorod region. The latter has been subjected to multiple attacks from Ukraine involving drones, artillery, and Ukrainian proxies.
In March, President Vladimir Putin hinted at the possibility of Moscow establishing a buffer zone within Ukrainian territory in response to the assaults on Belgorod.
As of now, there has been no official response from Ukraine. Reuters has been unable to promptly verify the reports from the battlefield provided by either side.
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