Explosions shake Belgorod and Bryansk. Missile attacks or defensive mishap?
8:41 AM EST, December 30, 2023
The series of explosions first occurred in the Belgorod region, which is near Ukraine's border.
Viacheslav Gladkov, the region's governor, quoted by Suspilne, reported on Telegram that the air defense systems "shot down several air targets approaching the city."
"According to preliminary data, one person died and another was injured," wrote Gladkov, adding that "the circumstances of the event are under investigation". It was later revealed that three people were injured.
Russian media reported that falling fragments damaged cars and several buildings. Shortly after, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that air defense systems shot down "13 missiles" in the Belgorod region.
Did Drones Target a Key Military Factory?
No sooner had the alarm sirens in Belgorod subsided than an alarm was declared in the neighboring Bryansk region. In the regional capital, Bryansk, residents reported hearing strong explosions on their Telegram channels.
According to unconfirmed reports, the attack's intended target was supposedly the Kremnij EL factory, one of the largest Russian microelectronics companies. Among other items, it produces components for Iskander missiles.
The regional leader, Alexander Bogomaz, later reported that the air defense destroyed six Ukrainian drones.
