At least five people were killed and eighteen others injured in an air strike on the Russian city of Belgorod, near the Ukrainian border, according to the governor of the area. Videos on social media depicted the aftermath, with a broken storefront and a body covered in a blanket.
Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that the casualties included one child, and the injured, including five children, were being transported to medical centers.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that an RM-70 multiple rocket launcher system fired 14 missiles from Ukraine over the region, all of which were reportedly shot down.
Belgorod, located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Ukrainian border, has faced what Moscow claims is indiscriminate shelling by Kyiv’s military on multiple occasions.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the incident as a “monstrous crime against civilians” and called for international condemnation of Ukraine.
A local journalist from Belgorod highlighted the lack of safe areas in the city, describing the attack in a residential area as a “matter of chance.” The journalist also mentioned a New Year’s Eve attack that killed 25 people, noting that such incidents have prompted residents to take shelling more seriously and seek refuge in safer locations.
