Eight wounded in Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod – governor (VIDEOS)

Eight civilians were wounded in a Ukrainian shelling of the Russian city of Belgorod early on Monday, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has said.

A woman is in critical condition, and the other civilians suffered moderate injuries, Gladkov wrote on Telegram. Belgorod is located 42km from the border with Ukraine.

“As a result of direct hits, a private house and more than 15 cars caught fire,” the governor said.

Windows were damaged in 21 apartment buildings in Belgorod, which has a population of 330,000. Four private homes were also affected, with windows blown out, and roofs and facades hit by shrapnel, Gladkov added.

Videos from the scene showed rockets striking vehicles parked outside apartment blocks. Another clip captured the damage sustained by a high-rise building during the bombardment, with balconies on the upper floors destroyed and windows blown out.

The governor said he visited an area of the city where a private home burned down as a result of the attack. “Luckily, no one was hurt. The residents heard the sirens and took shelter in the bathroom, and when the fire started, their neighbors rushed to help. They quickly removed the rubble and cleared the way out. They are true heroes,” he wrote.

Elsewhere in Belgorod Region, an apartment block and a private home were damaged in the village of Dubovoe.

According to Russia’s Channel One, Czech-made RM-70 Vampire multiple rocket launch systems were likely used by the Ukrainian military during the latest bombardment of Belgorod.

The Russian regions of Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk, which all border Ukraine, have been frequent targets of cross-border attacks since February 2022. The shelling and drone strikes have been aimed at energy infrastructure and residential areas, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths and injuries, as well as the destruction of property.

The bombardment of Belgorod has intensified in recent weeks amid the stalling of the Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk Region and Russian advances in Donbass. Kiev’s forces have also attempted to cross into Belgorod Region on several occasions, but have been pushed back.