Aerial targets shot down over Belgorod, Russian official claims
Russian air defense units shot down multiple targets over Belgorod Oblast on Jan. 3, Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed.
The city of Belgorod lies about 40 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. A Dec. 30 attack on the city killed 24 people and injured over 100 others. Russia attributed the attack to Ukraine, though Kyiv has not claimed responsibility.
Gladkov said air defense units intercepted multiple "targets" on Jan. 3, though he did not specify what the targets were.
"Our air defense system worked over Belgorod and the Belgorod district — several aerial targets were shot down on the approach to the city," he said shortly after 5 a.m. local time.
He later announced that a missile warning was activated throughout Belgorod and warned residents to seek shelter.
For the past five days, Russian forces have launched waves of large-scale missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities, targeting residential areas and critical infrastructure.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said on Jan. 1 that Russia would intensify attacks in retaliation for the strike on Belgorod.
During the latest round of attacks against Ukraine on Jan. 2, a Russian missile struck the Russian village of Petropavlovka in Voronezh Oblast, which borders Belgorod Oblast and Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that six buildings were damaged and that there were no casualties.
Alexander Query
