Russian authorities claim airstrike on Belgorod Oblast kills 1, injures 2
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, claimed at around 12:20 p.m. local time on March 20 that the Belgorod district, including the city of Belgorod, was under attack and the air defense system was operating.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims of Russian authorities, and Ukraine does not usually comment on alleged attacks on Russian soil.
The news comes days after Russian anti-Kremlin militias reportedly broke into Kursk and Belgorod oblasts, resulting in clashes with the Russian government forces.
Gladkov claimed that one man was killed as the debris hit his car, and a woman and another man were also reportedly injured and hospitalized as a result of the attack.
Several apartments were allegedly damaged, as well as 16 cars, a school, and two kindergartens, according to the governor. No casualties were recorded in the educational institutions, Gladkov claimed.
As a result of an airstrike, seven houses and two cars were damaged in the village of Razumnoye in the Belgorod district, the governor added.
"The emergency services continue to work at the scene of impact. The information on the consequences is being verified," Gladkov's statement says.
Russia's Belgorod and Saratov oblasts were also allegedly attacked by drones overnight on March 20.
Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin said that the city of Engels, home to a Russian air force base, was targeted. He claimed that there were no injuries or damage.
Chris York
