At least two people have been killed and two others wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Belgorod Region, local Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said early on Thursday.
According to the governor, a plane-type UAV was intercepted by the air defenses en route to the regional capital, but its debris hit several residential buildings, causing a fire. One house was completely destroyed and two more were partially damaged, according to the official.
“Unfortunately, there are casualties. The bodies of two people were recovered from the rubble – a man and a woman. Presumably, there may be a child under the rubble. The rescue operation continues,” Gladkov wrote on Telegram. Two more people suffered injuries and were rushed to a hospital in critical condition.
“The man is in a coma, he has burns of the respiratory tract, upper and lower extremities. Doctors assess the woman’s condition as severe, she has a lower limb fracture and a concussion,” Gladkov added.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that an incoming Ukrainian drone was “destroyed” over the Belgorod region around 11:50pm on Wednesday, but did not mention any damage on the ground in its brief statement.
Amid the ongoing hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, Belgorod Region and other areas bordering Ukraine have been the target of intense Ukrainian artillery attacks and drone raids, which have claimed numerous civilian lives. Russian officials have also accused Ukraine of plotting acts of sabotage targeting major infrastructure sites, including nuclear power plants.
Kiev has stepped up assaults on Russian territory in recent months, as the ground counteroffensive of Ukrainian forces launched in early June failed to yield any significant victories.