A missile attack killed five people, including a minor, and wounded 18 in the Russian city of Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine, on Thursday, a Russian official said, in what appeared to be the latest exchange
of missiles. and long-range projectiles
between the two countries.
Hours earlier,
Russia fired ballistic and cruise missiles into Ukraine,
hitting multiple regions after a midnight attack killed four people at an apartment building in the country's northeast, according to authorities.
Five of the 18 injured in Belgorod were children, the region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, explained on Telegram.
A shopping center and a school campus were hit
in the attack on the city, said Roman Starovoit, governor of Russia's neighboring Kursk region.
“There are many victims: dead and injured,” he said on Telegram.
The governor of the Belgorod region Vyaheslav Gladkov (center) at the scene of the attack.
Photo: EFE
Air defense systems
destroyed 14 projectiles
over the Belgorod region, the Russian Defense Ministry explained, adding that Ukrainian forces fired them from an RM-70 Vampire multiple rocket launcher around noon.
The city of Belgorod, which is about 40 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border, has been a regular target of Ukrainian operations, keeping the population in suspense.
Dozens of people were killed or injured in the attack over the New Year weekend in Russia.
In December,
a drone and rocket attack killed 25 people
and injured 100 others in the deadliest attack in Belgorod so far.
The shopping center attacked during noon this Thursday.
Photo: Reuters
These incidents have undermined President Vladimir Putin's attempts to reassure the population that life in the country continues as normal.
In Ukraine, five people were injured in a night operation over the city of Chuhuiv, in the Kharkiv border region, its governor, Oleh Syniehubov, explained.
Hours later,
missiles were launched against the capital Kiev
;
the southern region of Zaporizhzhia and Lviv, in the west of the country, among other places.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it intercepted 13 of the 26 missiles fired over the entire country.
Russia's long-range bombing has become a recurring tactic as the conflict, which is nearing its second anniversary, has descended into trench and artillery warfare, causing destruction but not altering the front line. 1,500 km (930 miles).
Thursday's Russian offensive stood out for its geographical dispersion and the variety of missiles deployed by Kremlin forces.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, states that one of his priorities is to improve air defense systems.
He will travel to France on Friday to
sign a bilateral security agreement
as part of his efforts to ensure continued military support from the West.
Several children were injured in the attack.
Photo: Reuters
The president's office also announced that on Friday he will also visit Berlin, where he will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
In addition, on Saturday he will speak at the Munich Security Conference, where he will hold bilateral meetings with the Vice President of the United States,
Kamala Harris
, and with other European leaders and business leaders.
Among the weapons used by Russia on Thursday were Iskander ballistic missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles, aviation guided missiles and adapted S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.
Ukraine has also attacked targets in Russian territory beyond the front line.
A Ukrainian drone caused a fire at an oil depot in Russia's Kursk region, its governor, Roman Starovoit, said Thursday.
The incident caused no injuries, he added.
A shopping center and a school campus were hit in the attack on the city.
Photo: Reuters
The Russian offensive came a day after the Ukrainian military said it used state-of-the-art maritime drones to
sink a Russian Navy ship in the Black Sea
, in what would be a major success for Kiev 10 days before February 24. , when two years have passed since the beginning of the invasion.
The Russian operation on Thursday morning left four people injured in the Ukrainian province of Zaporizhzhia, where it hit public infrastructure, according to authorities.
Explosions were also heard in kyiv.
In Lviv, two schools,
a kindergarten
and 18 residential buildings were damaged and three people were injured, said Mayor Andrii Sadovyi.
With information from the Associated Press