At least five people were killed and 37 others injured in Ukrainian airstrikes on Russia’s Belgorod region Friday evening, local authorities said.
Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov accused Ukrainian forces of using “Vampir” multiple-launch rocket systems with cluster munitions in the attack on the city of Belgorod and its surrounding areas.
Among the dead were one woman and four men, according to Gladkov, who also confirmed that at least six children were among the injured. Ten people were hospitalized in critical condition.
The attack caused significant property damage, including shattered windows and damaged facades in residential buildings and businesses, Gladkov said. A video shared on Telegram showed him surveying the damage as emergency responders extinguished fires on a building’s roof.
In the village of Dubovoe, located just to the south of the city of Belgorod, two homes, a car and a garage were set ablaze, though Gladkov said the fires had since been put out.
The confirmation of casualties came two hours after regional authorities issued an air raid alert for the city of Belgorod and nearby communities. Residents were urged to seek shelter at that time.
There was no immediate comment from Russia’s Defense Ministry or Ukrainian authorities about the airstrikes.
Friday night’s attack comes amid intensifying border clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces as Kyiv continues its incursion into the neighboring Kursk region, where tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes due to ongoing fighting.
Meanwhile, 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 in the day.
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