An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod Sunday. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were deaths, without specifying a number.
In a statement, Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s top law enforcement agency, said that the 10-story block had been hit by Ukrainian shelling. It said that there were dead and injured among the rubble, but provided no further details.
The Russian Health Ministry said that at least 17 people had been injured in the collapse. Rescue operations were being carried out.
Russian authorities said the building collapsed following Ukrainian shelling. Ukraine has not commented on the incident.
Repeated air raid alerts went out across the Belgorod region on Sunday morning. Belgorod city also came under fire Saturday evening, killing one person and injuring 29 more, said local Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.
He added that around 300 flats across 85 apartment buildings and four commercial properties suffered damage.
Key facilities such as a city hospital, a regional children’s hospital, a school, and two sports facilities were also damaged he said.
The Russian defence ministry, also on Telegram, announced on Sunday that its air defence forces had intercepted and destroyed two Soviet-era conventional ballistic missiles launched overnight by Ukrainian forces over the Belgorod region in Russia’s southwest.
These reports have not been independently verified.
Cities across western Russia have come under regular attack from drones since May 2023, with Russian officials blaming Kyiv. Ukrainian officials never acknowledge responsibility for attacks on Russian territory or the Crimean Peninsula.
The Belgorod region, on Russia’s western border, has been the target of a large number of strikes. Although most cross-border shelling is seen in rural areas, attacks have also been seen on the region’s capital. In December 2023, shelling in the heart of Belgorod city killed 25 people, prompting authorities to start erecting public shelters.
