A shelling incident in the central Russian border city of Belgorod on Saturday resulted in the tragic loss of 21 lives, including three children, according to local officials.
The strike also left 110 people wounded, marking one of the deadliest attacks on Russian soil since the commencement of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine 22 months ago. Russian authorities promptly attributed the attack to Kyiv, accusing them of the assault. The incident occurred a day after an 18-hour aerial bombardment across Ukraine claimed the lives of at least 41 civilians.
Social media images depicted Belgorod in flames, with burning cars and plumes of black smoke rising amid damaged structures, accompanied by the wail of air raid sirens. The strike, occurring in broad daylight, hit close to a public ice rink in the city center, a rare occurrence as previous attacks on the city had typically happened under the cover of darkness and with fewer casualties.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have identified the ammunition used in the strike as Czech-made Vampire rockets and Olkha missiles equipped with cluster-munition warheads. However, the provided information lacked additional details, and The Associated Press could not independently verify these assertions. A shelling incident
In response to the attack, the Defense Ministry declared, “This crime will not go unpunished.” Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly briefed on the situation, and Health Minister Mikhail Murashko was directed to join a delegation of medical personnel and rescue workers traveling from Moscow to Belgorod.
Russian diplomats called for a meeting of the U.N. Security Council in connection with the strike. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, speaking to Russia’s state news agency, accused Britain and the United States of encouraging Kyiv to carry out what she labeled a “terrorist attack.” She also placed blame on EU countries supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Earlier on Saturday, Moscow officials reported the downing of 32 Ukrainian drones over Moscow, Bryansk, Oryol, and Kursk regions.