Numerous videos have appeared on social media showing the consequences of a strike by Kiev’s forces on the Russian city of Belgorod on Saturday. The city is located some 40 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Telegram that the attack claimed the lives of 12 adults and two children. Some 108 people were injured, including 15 children.
A clip published by the Shot Telegram channel shows civilians lying on the ground trying to protect themselves from incoming projectiles, with loud explosions in the background. People are seen lying among debris and pieces of broken glass. Cries and screams can also be heard on the video as people desperately call for help and children search for their parents.
The moment of one shell's impact was also caught on a video published by Shot. Footage taken from a moving vehicle shows a major blast hitting the road in front of it, raising plumes of smoke into the air.
Images published by RIA Novosti showed the immediate aftermath of the Ukrainian strike, which hit a busy city street. The video shows a road filled with damaged cars, with at least three of the vehicles on fire.
Several other videos depict Belgorod malls and shops hit in the shelling, with their windows shattered by the blast wave and their exteriors damaged by the explosions. Large plumes of black smoke could also be seen rising over the city.
According to Russian media, the shelling targeted the central city district, which hosts regional government buildings, as well as the ‘Mayak’ city mall – a popular gathering place for locals that traditionally holds festive events on New Year’s Eve. Some reports also claimed that a local ice-skating rink was hit in the strike.