A series of Ukrainian airstrikes on Russia’s Belgorod region Friday evening killed at least five people and injured 37 others, according to local authorities. The attack marks a significant escalation in cross-border violence as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine intensifies.
Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that Ukrainian forces employed “Vampir” multiple-launch rocket systems with cluster munitions in the assault on Belgorod city and surrounding areas. The governor confirmed that among the dead were one woman and four men, with at least six children among the injured. Ten individuals were hospitalized in critical condition.
“The attack has caused substantial property damage, including shattered windows and damaged facades in residential buildings and businesses,” Gladkov stated in a Telegram post. A video shared on the platform showed the governor surveying the destruction as emergency responders battled fires on a building’s roof.
In Dubovoe, a village south of Belgorod city, two homes, a car, and a garage were set ablaze, though Gladkov reported that firefighters had extinguished these fires.
The confirmation of casualties came approximately two hours after regional authorities issued an air raid alert for Belgorod city and nearby communities, urging residents to seek immediate shelter.
As of Saturday morning, neither Russia’s Defense Ministry nor Ukrainian authorities had commented on the airstrikes.
This attack comes amid intensifying border clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces. Ukraine continues its incursion into the neighboring Kursk region, where tens of thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes due to ongoing fighting.
The violence is not limited to Russian territory. In northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, local authorities reported the deaths of seven people, including a 14-year-old girl, following a Russian strike on an apartment building earlier Friday.
