The attack on the border city has left at least five dead and 18 injured, including children, Vyacheslav Gladkov has said
Several people have been killed and many others injured in a Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian border city of Belgorod, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has said. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry is claiming to have shot down more than a dozen Ukrainian projectiles over the region.
Writing on Telegram on Thursday, Gladkov said, citing early reports data, that five people, including one child, were killed in the attack. At least 18 others have been injured, including five children, he also confirmed, adding that the wounded are being transported to hospitals and receiving all necessary care.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that just after noon local time on Thursday, Moscow’s forces intercepted 14 projectiles launched from a RM-70 Vampire multiple-launch rocket system over Belgorod Region.
Photos and videos from the scene, which have been circulating online, show a heavily damaged building in the mall with its windows shattered and cordoned off by local law enforcement. Clips shared on the Mash Telegram channel also show ambulances arriving at the stadium, with medics tending to an apparently injured person.
Another video shared by local Telegram channels appears to depict the moment of the Ukrainian attack on the shopping mall, with a powerful explosion heavily damaging the entrance.
Earlier in the day, the governor had announced a region-wide missile alert, urging residents to seek shelter and those who are inside buildings to stay away from windows.
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Russian border regions, including Belgorod, have come under recurring Ukrainian missile and drone strikes in recent months. One of the deadliest of these hit Belgorod in late December, killing 25 people and injuring more than 100. Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time called the attack a “terrorist act,” vowing to respond by targeting Kiev’s military installations. He stressed, however, that Moscow does not plan to retaliate in kind by attacking civilians.
February 15, 2024 at 04:20PM
RT