At least three people were killed and dozens of residential buildings were damaged in the Russian city of Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine, the regional governor said, in what Moscow said was a Ukrainian missile attack. At least 11 apartment buildings and 39 private homes were damaged, including five that were destroyed, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov posted on the Telegram messaging app. “I emphasize that this missile attack was deliberately planned and launched against the civilian population of Russian cities,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Konashenkov said Russian air defenses destroyed three Tochka-U missiles, but fragments of one of them fell on residential buildings. He said they also destroyed explosive-laden Ukrainian drones approaching Kursk, another city in southern Russia. Reuters could not independently confirm the claims. Since Russia invaded its neighbor on February 24, there have been numerous reports of attacks in Belgorod and other areas bordering Ukraine, with Moscow accusing Kyiv of carrying out the strikes. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, but has described the incidents at arms stores and other locations as “karma” for the Russian invasion. Belgorod is a city of nearly 400,000 people, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the border with Ukraine. Regional Governor Gladkov said at least four people were injured and two were hospitalized in the latest incident, including a 10-year-old boy. “The sound was so loud that I jumped, woke up, got very scared and started screaming,” a resident of the town told Reuters, describing the explosions that occurred around 3 a.m. local time. “All the windows in our house were broken.” The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
