BELGOROD, Russia — Six people were killed in an overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Belgorod region, local authorities said on Sunday, as emergency crews searched a damaged apartment building and officials reported widespread damage to residential and other buildings.
- Six people were reported killed in the Belgorod drone attack.
- Authorities said 25 people, including two children, were initially reported injured.
- Fires broke out in two apartment buildings, with emergency crews later finding additional victims.
- Russia’s Defence Ministry said more than 150 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over several areas.
Belgorod drone attack death toll rises to six
The regional crisis centre said six people died in the overnight attack on Belgorod. Acting Belgorod regional governor Alexander Shuvayev had initially reported three deaths and 25 injuries, including two children.
The death toll increased after emergency crews searched an apartment building that had caught fire following the attack. Officials also said the strikes damaged a large number of residential and non-residential buildings.
Two apartment buildings were reported to have caught fire. Images released from the city showed damage to a bank building following the overnight drone attack, according to local authorities.
Residential areas suffer damage
The attack caused damage across Belgorod, with authorities reporting impacts on homes and other structures. Emergency workers continued operations at the affected apartment building as the scale of the damage became clearer.
The initial casualty figures were revised as rescue teams worked through the damaged site. Authorities did not provide further details about the identities of those killed.
Russia says more than 150 drones were destroyed
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces destroyed more than 150 Ukrainian drones over the European part of Russia, as well as areas over Crimea, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
The reported drone activity extended beyond Belgorod. In Novorossiysk, a major Russian export port on the Black Sea, drone debris fell on two facilities, according to the city’s mayor, Andrei Kravchenko. He did not identify the facilities involved.
The local crisis centre later said three residential buildings in Novorossiysk were damaged and one person was injured.
Drone activity also reported in Ufa
Another incident was reported in Bashkortostan region. A Ukrainian drone struck a building under construction and a crane in the city of Ufa, state-run RIA news agency reported, citing local emergency services.
The reports indicate that the overnight drone activity affected multiple locations, with authorities in different regions assessing damage and responding to incidents.
Belgorod remains at centre of latest escalation
The rise in casualties in Belgorod followed the discovery of additional victims during emergency operations. The attack also left residential buildings and other structures damaged, according to regional officials.
The latest incidents come amid the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict, with drone attacks and interceptions being reported across several areas. The Russian authorities’ accounts of the attacks could not be independently verified in the supplied report.
