Ukrainian Missile Strike Kills Two in Russian Border City of Belgorod
A Ukrainian missile attack on the Russian city of Belgorod has killed two people, including a 16-year-old, and injured 16 others, as Kyiv's forces continue to strike targets inside Russia's border regions.
A Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian city of Belgorod has killed two people, including a teenager, and injured 16 others, according to local authorities. The attack, which targeted a commercial facility, comes as Kyiv intensifies its campaign against Russian logistics and infrastructure in regions bordering Ukraine.
The acting regional governor, Alexander Shuvaev, confirmed that a man and a 16-year-old were killed in the strike, which also set seven warehouses ablaze. The online retailer Ozon said its warehouse in the city was hit, forcing the evacuation of employees and the suspension of operations. The company did not specify whether any of its staff were among the casualties.
Videos shared on social media showed multiple fires burning across the city, including one reportedly near a television tower, and a fire at the Belgorod thermal power plant, according to the local outlet Pepel. The attack follows a pattern of Ukrainian strikes on Russian logistics hubs. Kyiv began targeting Ozon warehouses last week, after more than a month of strikes against facilities owned by its largest competitor, Wildberries. Ukrainian officials have accused Wildberries of supplying the Russian military with drone parts and other equipment, making such facilities legitimate military targets in their view.
The Belgorod region, which shares a border with Ukraine, has faced frequent drone and missile attacks since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022. This latest assault underscores the vulnerability of Russian border regions as the conflict continues, with Moscow's brutal campaign against Ukrainian cities met by Ukrainian resistance and strikes against military-related infrastructure inside Russia. Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has brought the war to its own doorstep, and Ukrainian forces have made clear they will target logistics chains that sustain the Russian war effort. While Russian authorities claim the strikes are indiscriminate, the Ukrainian military maintains it is acting in self-defence against an aggressor that has systematically targeted civilian infrastructure across Ukraine.