'Massive' drone attack on Belgorod Oblast damages buildings, gas line, Russian governor claims

Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, June 2, 2023. (Olga Maltseva / AFP via Getty Images)

Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Drone attacks against the Russian city of Belgorod and settlements in Belgorod Oblast on June 24 damaged multiple buildings, vehicles, and a gas supply line, while injuring four people, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed.

Reports of aerial attacks against Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts, have become a common occurrence in recent months.

According to Gladkov, a "massive" drone attack against Belgorod caused damage to four apartment buildings in the city and shattered windows in three others in the nearby town of Severnyi. A home, four vehicles, and a gas line were also damaged in the city, Gladkov claimed.

One woman from the city of Belgorod was allegedly injured and taken to hospital with a head injury and a broken right arm. While in the town of Stroitel, another two people were injured, Gladkov claimed. No details were provided on the alleged fourth victim.

According to Gladkov, an administrative building in the city of Shebekino caught fire and "completely burned down."

Elsewhere in the region, another four apartment building, eight homes, and two vehicles were also reportedly damaged.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify Gladkov's claims, and Ukraine's military has yet to comment on the alleged attack.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it had intercepted 29 drones over Belgorod Oblast and one drone over nearby Voronezh Oblast.

Kyiv does not always claim official responsibility for reported attacks on Russian soil. In some cases, Ukraine has disputed Russian allegations regarding attacks in Belgorod Oblast.

Ukraine has targeted Russia's oil infrastructure and defense industry with increasing attacks throughout winter and spring.

On June 23, Ukraine’s military struck a command post of a Russian motorized rifle regiment in Nekhoteyevka in the Belgorod region, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported.

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