The Russian border region of Belgorod is repeatedly affected by fighting. There are dead and injured.
In the Russian city of Belgorod near the border, the number of deaths following a Ukrainian attack has risen to 24, according to official figures. The region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported two more deaths on Sunday.
More than 100 people were injured by shelling on Friday and Saturday, he wrote on the social network Telegram. On Sunday morning, the rocket alarm was triggered again in the city with around 350,000 inhabitants. “All residents should go to shelters,” wrote Gladkow. The alarm was lifted after a short time, as reported by the Tass agency.
In the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine since February 2022, the deaths in Belgorod are the worst loss among the Russian civilian population to date. According to Russian military information, Ukraine is said to have shelled the city with combat drones and rocket artillery.
In Moscow, the Defense Ministry said two precision-guided Ukrainian missiles were riddled with cluster munitions. The military said these rockets were shot down by anti-aircraft defense, but their debris containing cluster munitions fell into the city center of Belgorod. This information could not immediately be independently verified. Cluster munitions are smaller explosive devices that are released from a larger projectile and are intended primarily to hit vehicles and people.
So far no statement from Kyiv
There was no official statement from Kiev as of Sunday morning. The news portal “Ukrainskaya Pravda” only wrote, citing an anonymous Ukrainian intelligence source, that the Ukrainian army had targeted Russian military objects. Civilians were harmed due to “unprofessional actions by the Russian air defense as well as deliberate and planned provocations.”
Because of the deaths in Belgorod, several other Russian cities also canceled New Year’s Eve celebrations at short notice. The mayors of Vladivostok, Magadan and Blagoveshchensk in the Russian Far East, among others, issued corresponding orders on Sunday. Because of its eastern location, the New Year takes place several hours before the European part of Russia or Western Europe. “We mourn with the whole country,” wrote the mayor of Vladivostok, Konstantin Shestakov, on Telegram.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
