Children killed in Ukrainian shelling of Russian border city – governor
The attack, which hit a residential area of Belgorod, has also left several people injured, Vyacheslav Gladkov has said © photo of an eyewitness A Ukrainian strike on the Russian city of Belgorod has killed two children and injured several other people, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has said. Writing on Telegram on Saturday, the official said that the barrage had hit the center of the city, located about 40km from the Ukrainian border, although he did not provide details on what weapons had been used. He said all information on casualties was preliminary, but added that the attack had hit a residential sector. The Telegram channel Baza reported that the death toll had risen to four people. It also said that at least three people had been injured in the attack, adding that two of them sustained their wounds after a Ukrainian shell fragment hit a car. According to the outlet, one shell fell directly on an ice skating rink in the downtown area. Baza also shared pictures from the scene of the attack, showing several vehicles burning in the parking lot, with plumes of black smoke rising into the air. Another photo showed a burning truck parked near a New Year’s tree. Gladkov later said that the threat of missile attacks remained and issued an alert to that effect, urging the city’s residents to seek shelter. The warning was echoed by local emergency services, who told residents to leave their homes and move to safe places. They also asked them to turn off the electricity, gas and water before leaving. RIA Novosti reported that authorities were blocking traffic in the city downtown and shared footage of several police cars parked in the middle of the road, with officers ordering oncoming vehicles to stop. DETAILS TO FOLLOW