Russia’s Kursk, Belgorod regions come under fire from Ukraine

Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions came under fire from Ukrainian forces across the border in the early hours of Wednesday, the regions’ governors said, adding that no casualties were reported.

“The town of Valuyki is under fire from Ukraine’s armed forces,” Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on the Telegram messaging app at 07:36 a.m. local time (0436 GMT).

He did not specify whether it was rocket fire, artillery shelling or some other form of attack.

“Air defence system worked, but there is destruction on the ground,” Gladkov said.

Separately, Roman Starovoyt, the governor of the Kursk region, north of Belgorod and also bordering Ukraine, said that a school and a private house were damaged when the village of Tyotkino came fire, again without specifying the form of attack.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the 16-month war that Russia launched on its neighbour in February 2022.

Blasts and attacks on Russian regions bordering Ukraine have been occurring on nearly daily in recent months, with Russian officials blaming either Ukrainian forces or pro-Ukrainian saboteurs.