Partial collapse of a residential building in Russian border city of Belgorod At least 13 people were killed and 20 others injured on Sunday, officials said. They blamed Ukrainian bombing for the destruction of the building.
Video footage posted online showed rescuers searching for survivors among the remains of the building’s stairs, then fleeing the scene as part of the roof collapsed to the ground. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said that 13 bodies have been recovered from the rubble so far.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s top law enforcement agency, said in a statement that the 10-storey building had been subjected to Ukrainian bombing.
The Russian Defense Ministry later wrote on social media that the building was damaged by fragments of a downed Tochka-U TRC missile. It also said that air defenses shot down several other missiles over the Belgorod region, as well as two drones that were destroyed in a separate incident later Sunday.
Air raid alerts continued across Belgorod while rescuers worked. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the city was also hit by gunfire on Saturday evening, killing one person and wounding 29 others.
Cities across western Russia are under regular attack From drones Since May 2023, Russian officials have blamed Kiev. Ukrainian officials have never acknowledged responsibility for attacks on Russian territory or Crimea.
The Belgorod region, located on Russia’s western border, was the target of a large number of strikes. Although most cross-border shelling occurs in rural areas, attacks have also been seen on the region’s capital. In December 2023, Bombing in the heart of Belgorod 25 people were killed, prompting the authorities to begin setting up public shelters.
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