An attack blamed by Moscow on the Ukrainian army yesterday killed 14 and injured 108 in Belgorod, a city close to the border, according to a report by Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry. “According to the latest information, twelve adults and two children died in Belgorod. In addition, 108 people, including 15 children, were injured,” he wrote on the social network Telegram. The Russian Defense Ministry is talking about retaliation.
These attacks come a day after Russia’s massive attacks on several cities in Ukraine, including the capital, that killed at least 39 people and injured more than 160, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday.
Also this Saturday, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that a total of 32 Ukrainian drones had been neutralized in the Bryansk, Kursk and Orel sectors, north of the Ukrainian border, as well as in Moscow.
Regarding the Ukrainian attacks on targets on Russian territory, the Ministry of Defense hinted that it was retaliation. “The Kiev regime, which committed this crime, is trying to divert attention from the defeats at the front and also provoke us to similar actions,” they said in a statement. “We emphasize that the Russian Armed Forces only work on military installations and infrastructure directly related to them. We will continue to do that. This crime will not go unpunished.”
Kiev has never acknowledged responsibility for the attacks on Russian territory or Crimea. However, according to the AP, the largest airstrikes on Russia followed heavy attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Friday was also marked by a missile flying over Poland (NATO country), and before it disappeared from radars, there were indications that it was a Russian missile, according to the Polish Foreign Ministry.
Yesterday, Andrey Ordash, minister counselor at the Russian embassy in Poland, said Moscow would not comment on the event until Warsaw presented the Kremlin with concrete evidence of an airspace violation.
The United States has already expressed its willingness to assist Poland in investigating the aerial object violating its airspace. The offer of help was made by White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to his Polish counterpart Jacek Siewiera during a telephone conversation. It did not specify whether the Polish executive accepted the aid, but it indicated that Siewiera showed gratitude for Washington’s support, a White House statement said.
With agencies
Source: DN
