Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed at around 5:30 p.m. local time on March 14 that the air defense system over the city of Belgorod was operating, marking the third report of a strike on the city since that morning.
Gladkov blamed Ukraine for the purported strikes, which took place amid reports of ongoing fighting in Belgorod Oblast between the Russian army and an anti-Kremlin militia.
Kyiv does not typically comment on reports of attacks within Russian territory.
The first strike took place at around 8:30 a.m. and damaged two houses, a medical institution, and wounded three people, Gladkov claimed on his Telegram channel. According to him, eight projectiles or drones were downed on approach to Belgorod.
Another 10 incoming projectiles or drones were purportedly shot down during the second attack, which allegedly took place in the early afternoon.
Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov claimed that the attack damaged eight apartment buildings, three houses, three businesses, an educational institution, and 13 cars.
Demidov also reported that there were issues with traffic at one intersection "due to damage to the road surface and several cars."
In the third attack, another 10 incoming projectiles or drones were allegedly shot down, and two men received shrapnel wounds at a construction site, Gladkov claimed.
Gladkov also later claimed that two people in Belgorod were killed when they were driving a vehicle during the morning strikes.
Gladkov appealed to the civilian population to postpone their travel "for one or two days, thereby you can potentially influence how to preserve your health and your life."
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims of the Russian authorities.
Emmanuelle Chaze
