Ukrainian drone hits residential building in Belgorod – governor

A Ukrainian drone injured at least one person when it struck an apartment building in Russia’s Belgorod Region on Tuesday, causing a fire, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has said.

A man whose leg was hurt by shrapnel in the incident was subsequently taken to a city hospital, the official said. Firefighters are tackling the blaze, which has spread across three apartments in the building, he added. Gladkov characterized the incident as a Ukrainian military attack against a civilian target.

Unconfirmed media reports previously said multiple people were injured in the incident. Gladkov said the damage was being clarified.

Belgorod is the capital of a region of the same name on the Ukrainian border. It has suffered from regular attacks launched by Kiev’s forces amid the wider conflict between the two nations.

In May, Russia launched an incursion into neighboring Kharkov Region, which it said was meant to make it harder for Ukraine to attack nearby Belgorod Region with shorter-range weapons, such as artillery guns and small drones. Kiev has long-range kamikaze drones in its arsenal, which it uses to strike targets deep inside Russia.

Last Wednesday, a series of Ukrainian attacks left four people dead and 24 others injured in several villages in Belgorod Region.