Russia He said 14 people were killed, including two children, and 108 wounded in “indiscriminate” Ukrainian attacks on Saturday that reportedly included cluster bombs in the provincial capital of Belgorod, and promised to retaliate.
The newspaper Kommersant cited a source close to the Russian Investigative Committee as saying that missiles fired from a multiple rocket launcher in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region had hit a skating rink in the central Cathedral Square, a shopping center, residential buildings and a car.
Kyiv He had no official comment immediately, but the outlet RBC-Ukraine cited sources according to which Ukrainian forces had attacked military targets in Belgorod in response to a Russian bombing the day before.
The spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharovatold the state news agency RIA that Russia had requested a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the incident.
The region of Belgorodadjacent to the north of Ukrainehas suffered throughout the year from bombings and drone attacks that authorities have attributed to Ukraine.
“Today, the Kiev regime attempted an indiscriminate combined attack on the city of Belgorod with two ‘Olkha’ missiles in a prohibited cluster configuration, as well as Czech-made Vampire rockets,” the Defense Ministry said on Telegram. “This crime will not go unpunished.”
Most of the rockets, including the “Olkha” missiles, were shot down, preventing further casualties, although fragments fell on the city.
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Images posted by ESTUARY They showed at least three cars on fire, and other images on the Internet showed black smoke billowing from the city.
Russiawhich invaded Ukraine in February 2022, carried out its largest airstrike of the war on Friday.
Officials ukrainians They said 39 civilians had been killed and 159 wounded when Russia launched 158 missiles and drones against cities and towns across the country.