The strike on Saturday by Ukrainian forces on Belgorod is the “worst” since the start of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a Telegram post. In a separate post in the early hours of Sunday, he added that the death toll has grown to 21.
The shelling also left a total of 111 people injured, the Emergencies Ministry said. The material damage sustained by the city in the strike is still being assessed, Gladkov said, adding that additional public servants from nearby towns had been engaged to speed up this process.
The strike damaged more than 100 vehicles, most of which were “totally destroyed” or burnt, according to Gladkov. A large number of commercial facilities, including shops, stores and malls, were damaged as well, he added. Some gas and water supply systems in the city were also hit, according to the governor.
The regional authorities decided to cancel all public gatherings and festivities in all territories bordering Ukraine, as well as in the city of Belgorod itself, which is located some 40km away from the border, Gladkov said. The governor also informed President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin about the incident and its aftermath.
Russia has celebrated the 79th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II…
The Russian military has seized two settlements in Kharkov Region and Donbass from Ukrainian forces,…
AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company has announced the withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine from global markets, claiming…
A video documenting the destruction of a NATO-supplied tank in Ukrainian service appeared on Russian…
Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially been sworn into office for a fifth term. In…
Moscow will retaliate against British targets in Ukraine or elsewhere if Kiev uses UK-provided missiles…