Russia claims 1 killed, 2 injured in Ukrainian rocket attack on Belgorod

Russia's Defense Ministry and Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on March 22 that rockets launched by Ukrainian forces struck the city of Belgorod and its surroundings, reportedly killing one person and injuring two others.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims of Russian authorities, and Ukraine does not usually comment on alleged attacks on Russian soil.

Belgorod Oblast borders Ukraine's Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Sumy oblasts. Claims of rocket or drone attacks against the region have recently become a daily occurrence amid anti-Kremlin Russian militias' incursions into the border areas.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces downed eight projectiles launched from the RM-70 Vampire rocket launcher against Belgorod Oblast at around 7:30 a.m. local time.

Gladkov said that one person had been killed- a woman walking her dog on the street at the time of the alleged attacks. Two others were reportedly injured and taken to the hospital, the governor said.  

The news came as Russia launched a massive attack across Ukraine, striking critical infrastructure and other targets throughout the country.

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The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek