Moscow, Aug 25 (EFE).- At least five civilians were killed on Sunday after Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale rocket and drone attack on Russia’s Belgorod region, according to Russian authorities.
“In the middle of the night, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a brutal terrorist attack on the village of Rakitnoye. Tragically, the enemy shelling claimed the lives of five civilians,” regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on his Telegram channel.
Thirteen others, including three children, were injured in the attack. Six of them are critical and have been taken to nearby hospitals.
“All necessary assistance is being provided to the victims,” the governor added.
The shelling also caused significant damage to at least 10 houses, four commercial properties, and four cars.
The town of Rakitnoye, which has a population of 10,000, and two neighboring villages have been left without gas due to damage to the local pipeline. Additionally, the high-voltage power network was also damaged in the attack, Gladkov said.
The governor said that over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces have launched more than 100 rockets and drones against at least eight districts across the Belgorod region, causing damage to several homes and businesses.
“It was a difficult night for the entire region,” the governor said.
Belgorod, which shares more than 500 kilometers of border with Ukraine, has been the most affected Russian region since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022.
Since the start of the cross-border incursion by Ukrainian troops in the neighboring Kursk region on Aug. 6, more than 30 people have died in the Russian territory. EFE
mos-bks
