Two people were injured in three separate drone attacks in western Russia’s Belgorod region, Russian authorities said early Friday.
One bus passenger was wounded in a drone strike in the village of Voznesenovka, around 7 kilometers north of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram.
Another person received shrapnel wounds when a Ukrainian drone struck a parked car in the same village, Gladkovadded.
In the nearby town of Shebekino, the governorsaid a gas station employee escaped unharmed when a drone struck a gas storage tank.
Local mediapublished an unverified video of what was said to be a gas station in Shebekino engulfed in flames.
Russia’s Defense Ministrysaid it had downed or intercepted five drones over the Belgorod region and one in annexed Crimea overnight.
Belgorod has been repeatedly targeted by what Russian officials have called indiscriminate Ukrainian attacks on civilians since Moscow invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.
Recent months have seen a sharp uptick in Ukrainian air attacks along Russia’s western border, as well as incursions by pro-Kyiv militias comprised of Russian volunteer fighters.
