Reports from Russian officials indicate that Ukrainian shelling targeted the city of Belgorod, located near the border with Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. The regional Governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, confirmed that a man and a woman lost their lives in the attack, while three others sustained injuries. This incident is part of the ongoing exchanges of long-range missile and rocket fire in Russia's conflict with Ukraine.
Additionally, five people were wounded when a Ukrainian drone struck a car in the village of Glotovo, situated approximately 2 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, as reported by Gladkov.
On the same day, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an oil refinery owned by Russian oil giant Rosneft in the Samara region. The regional Governor, Dmitry Azarov, mentioned that another refinery was targeted but the attack was successfully prevented. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported in these incidents.
The recent attacks follow a Russian assault on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, where at least 20 people lost their lives. The ballistic missile strike hit residential areas in the southern city, followed by a second missile targeting first responders at the scene. Odesa regional Governor Oleh Kiper stated that 40 individuals remain hospitalized due to injuries sustained during the attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault in a video address, promising a 'just response' to the aggression. These incidents occurred as Russians participated in the second day of voting in a presidential election widely expected to secure Vladimir Putin's continued leadership for another six years, amidst a backdrop of suppressed dissent.
