Rachel Hagan
Vyacheslav GladkovThree people have been killed and at least nine others injured in Ukraine’s latest attack on the Russian border region of Belgorod, according to its governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov.
The strike hit the village of Maslova Pristan early on Wednesday, Gladkov said. Emergency workers were searching for people feared trapped under rubble.
It is the third consecutive day Ukraine has struck the region, leaving thousands of people without power and at least two others dead.
Ukraine has not commented on the attacks but has repeatedly struck targets inside Russia, including Belgorod, during the war.
Russian strikes also caused power outages in several Ukrainian regions, Ukraine’s energy regulator said.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As winter approaches, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia is targeting Ukraine’s critical energy-generating facilities, while Kyiv has been targeting key Russian oil refineries.
Wednesday’s series of drone and missile attacks damaged homes, vehicles and power lines in multiple districts of Belgorod, Gladkov wrote on Telegram.
He shared photographs from Maslova Pristan showing a sports centre with its roof and walls blown apart, and said rescue workers were clearing debris and assessing the damage.
In the nearby town of Moshchenoye, six people – including a child – were injured when a rocket and drone struck a truck, while a man was hurt when a car was hit in Masychevo.
The strikes follow two days of similar attacks that have caused blackouts and structural damage in Belgorod city and surrounding areas. Videos verified by BBC Verify showed explosions and fires near a local power station late on Tuesday.
Nearly 40,000 residents were affected by power cuts across seven municipalities, according to Gladkov.
Ukraine has dramatically increased the number of attacks launched against Russian oil refineries in recent months, sparking fuel shortages and price rises in some parts of the country, the BBC has found.
At least 21 of Russia’s 38 major refineries – where crude oil is converted into usable fuel like petrol and diesel – have been hit since January, almost half again as many as during the whole of 2024. The strikes have contributed to fuel shortages and rising prices across several Russian regions.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine are continuing. Ukraine’s air force said on Wednesday its defences shot down or disabled 154 drones, but 22 struck targets in 11 locations. Debris from intercepted drones caused fires and damage to civilian infrastructure.
At least five people were killed late last week when Russia sent over 50 ballistic missiles and around 500 drones into nine regions across Ukraine.
Zelensky said Moscow is again targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter and has announced new funding to repair damaged facilities and create a reserve of equipment to restore power supplies.
“Despite all the challenges, we must support the communities currently facing the hardest times,” he said.
