Russia Belgorod shopping center hit by air attack near the border

• At least five people died in an air attack on Belgorod, near the Ukrainian border.
• Russian officials claim 14 Ukrainian missiles were intercepted and downed by air defense systems.
• One rocket hit a shopping center and another landed on the city’s sports stadium.

The region’s governor confirmed that at least five people died in an air attack on the Russian city of Belgorod. The strike, which occurred near the Ukrainian border, reportedly injured eighteen others.

Social media videos depicted several ambulances stationed outside a severely damaged shopping center with shattered windows. Russian officials asserted that air defense systems had intercepted and downed 14 Ukrainian missiles over the Belgorod region.

Russian TV, closely affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, reported that one rocket struck a shopping center, while another landed on the city’s sports stadium.

Belgorod, situated approximately 30km (19 miles) from the Ukrainian border, has frequently faced targeting by Ukrainian forces since the commencement of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.

In December, a drone and rocket attack claimed the lives of 25 people and injured another 100, marking the deadliest strike on Belgorod to date.

Last night, Russia launched 26 missiles at Ukraine, resulting in the death of a 66-year-old woman in Chuguyiv, near Kharkiv in the east, and causing injuries to several others. Meanwhile, the battle for Ukraine’s eastern town of Avdiivka continues unabated.

Ukrainian soldiers speaking to the BBC have indicated that the town is on the brink of falling at any moment, citing severe shortages of weapons and ammunition.

Nato Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg warned on Thursday that the battlefield is already experiencing the consequences of the US’s failure to approve continued military assistance to Ukraine.

Avdiivka holds strategic significance as it serves as a gateway to the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk. Since the onset of the conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014, it has effectively served as the front line.

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