At least five people have been killed and 13 others wounded during an overnight Ukrainian strike on Belgorod, according to officials in the Russian region.
Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced the death toll on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday morning, saying three minors were among those wounded in the attack on the settlement of Rakitnoye.
“We will definitely help everyone who suffered,” Gladkov said, adding, “Our task now is to endure, to overcome trials, to cope with trouble.”
Kyiv has increased its strikes inside Russian territory after launching a surprise ground offensive into Russia’s Kursk region two weeks ago.
In mid-August, Gladkov declared a state of emergency in the region due to Ukrainian bombardments.
In response, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it was sending more troops to the region to defend it in light of the Kursk incursion.
The ministry announced on Sunday that it sent more artillery units to Kursk to aid soldiers in pushing back Ukrainian forces.
Hotel strike
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the governor of the eastern Donetsk region, Vadym Filashkin, said on Sunday that an overnight Russian strike had hit a hotel in Kramatorsk.
Two journalists were wounded in the attack and a third one is missing, Filashkin said, adding that they were British, American and Ukrainian nationals and that a search operation was under way.
The Reuters news agency said in a statement that its six-member team was staying at Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk when it was hit.
“One of our colleagues is unaccounted for, while another two have been taken to hospital for treatment,” Reuters said.
“Three other colleagues have been accounted for. We are urgently seeking more information, working with the authorities in Kramatorsk, and supporting our colleagues and their families,” it added.
The agency said the Russian Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strike.
At the same time, Russia launched several missiles and drones overnight across northern and eastern Ukraine, including the front-line regions of Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Donetsk.
Kyiv’s military claimed that the country’s air defences destroyed “most of the missiles”, without specifying the exact number.
The mayor of Kharkiv city, Ihor Terekhov, said a gas pipeline was damaged in the Russian attacks and at least two houses were destroyed and 10 damaged.
Oleh Sinehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region, said seven people were injured in the Russian attacks, including a four-year-old child.