Two people died in a border city due to Ukrainian shelling, according to Russian officials.
According to officials, there were two casualties in Belgorod, a Russian city, as a result of shelling from Ukraine on Saturday. Additionally, Russia reported preventing a potential border crossing by saboteurs.
According to regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, a man and a woman were killed in the attack and three others were injured. The attack, which occurred in Russia’s war on Ukraine, was part of ongoing exchanges of long-range missile and rocket fire.
Five individuals were also injured when a drone from Ukraine struck a vehicle in the village of Glotovo, approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away from the border, according to Gladkov.
The Defense Ministry of Russia reported on Saturday that they had prevented infiltration attempts by “Ukrainian groups for sabotage and reconnaissance” from entering the country through Ukraine’s Sumy region. This occurred after an armed invasion, allegedly carried out by individuals opposed to the Kremlin and based in Ukraine, in the Belgorod and Kursk regions on Tuesday.
The Defense Ministry of Russia reported that 30 fighters were eliminated by Moscow’s military and security forces during the prevention of the most recent invasion.
The Russian Volunteer Corps, a faction that asserts they entered the border on Tuesday and is reportedly fighting for the liberation of Ukrainian and Russian individuals, posted a video on Saturday via social media declaring that they have apprehended 25 Russian soldiers.
Another of the groups, the Freedom of Russia Legion, warned of a “massive strike” on military bases in Belgorod late afternoon Saturday and urged residents to take shelter. Shortly afterward, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian air defenses had shot down 15 rockets over the Belgorod region. Videos on local news sites appeared to show smoke rising from buildings and falling shrapnel.
The confirmation of the videos could not be verified by a separate source.
A visual display depicts the aftermath of a Ukrainian missile strike, according to local officials, in Belgorod, Russia on March 16, 2024. (Photo released by Vyacheslav Gladkov, Governor of Belgorod Region, via Reuters’ Telegram channel)
There have been occasional attacks across the border in the region since the start of the war, resulting in claims, counterclaims, and the spread of misinformation and propaganda.
On Saturday as well, the governor of the Samara region, Dmitry Azarov, reported that a Ukrainian drone strike resulted in a fire at a Rosneft oil refinery located about 725 kilometers (450 miles) away from the Ukrainian border. Azarov stated that an attempted attack on a different refinery was unsuccessful. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
On Saturday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commended the country’s military for its recent development of a “long-range capability”.
On social media, he stated that our drones possess a genuine long-distance ability, making them a valuable asset in Ukraine’s aerial defense.
According to the Russian state news agency Tass, a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive near a polling station in the illegally annexed Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. There were no injuries or damage reported.
According to local officials, a Ukrainian missile attack on Belgorod, Russia on March 16, 2024 caused destruction of cars that still remain at the scene. (Source: Telegram channel of Vyacheslav Gladkov, Governor of Belgorod Region, via Reuters).
The strikes occurred one day after the Russian invasion of Odesa, a Ukrainian city, which resulted in the deaths of at least 21 individuals. On Friday, a ballistic missile attack destroyed homes in the southern city, and a second missile targeted the first responders who had arrived on the scene, according to officials.
According to Ukrainian state media, on Saturday, Odesa Deputy Mayor Svitlana Bedreha reported that over 50 individuals were currently hospitalized as a result of the attacks.
Source: voanews.com
