Ukrainian forces attacked multiple settlements in Belgorod Oblast on May 16-17, damaging a gas station and killing two people, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed.
Reports of rocket or drone attacks against Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts, have become a common occurrence in recent months.
A drone struck a gas station near the village of Bessonovka, causing a fuel tank to catch fire, Gladkov said. Firefighters have since extinguished the blaze.
In the village of Oktyabyrsky, a drone attack killed a woman and her four-year-old child, Gladkov claimed. He also said the child's father was injured.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify Gladkov's claims.
The same night, Russian media and officials reported attacks against Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai and Sevastopol in occupied Crimea.
Ukraine has targeted Russia's oil infrastructure and defense industry with increasing attacks throughout winter and spring.
Kyiv does not always claim official responsibility for reported attacks on Russian soil. In some cases, Ukraine has disputed Russian allegations regarding attacks in Belgorod Oblast.
Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, denied accusations that a Ukrainian attack caused a 10-story apartment building in the city of Belgorod to collapse on May 12.
The Kyiv Independent
The Kyiv Independent doesn’t depend on a wealthy owner or an oligarch — in 2023, 80% of our revenue was from reader contributions. It’s thanks to them that we don’t have to rely on a single owner.
Support us now and help maintain our independent model and keep our articles free for everyone. Your contributions allow us to cover journalists’ salaries, report from the front lines, and fund projects like our War Crimes Investigations Unit.
(Updated: )
