Fatal collapse in Belgorod raises questions amid claims of Ukrainian attack

The number of fatalities from a collapsed stairwell in a Belgorod, Russia, residential block has risen. Russian sources allege the collapse was due to a Ukrainian attack.

It's important to note that many reports from Russian media or government officials are considered propaganda, serving as components in the information war led by the Russian Federation.

Recent updates from Ria Novosti report that nine bodies have been retrieved from the debris. Additionally, 20 individuals, including a one-and-a-half-month-old infant and a 16-year-old teenager, were injured.

The Belgorod region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, immediately pointed fingers at Ukraine, claiming a missile strike directly caused the 10-story building's stairwell to collapse.

Conversely, the Russian Ministry of Defense contends that the building was not struck by a missile but by its debris after air defense forces intercepted a Ukrainian Tochka-U missile.

Social media platforms have been awash with images and videos depicting the attack's aftermath.

British military intelligence recently shed light on an incident on May 4, where a Russian aircraft inadvertently dropped an FAB-500 bomb on a Belgorod residential area. Although Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed the explosion and subsequent damage in Razdobarkina Street, he did not disclose the cause of the incident. This explosion damaged 30 houses and 10 cars and injured five people, underscoring the bomb's destructive capability, as highlighted by the British department.

This incident underscores Russia's ongoing challenges in accurately deploying bombs, leading to drastic and fatal consequences for its citizens.

In another event in October 2022, a Su-34 airplane crashed into a residential building in Yeysk due to an engine fire shortly after takeoff. Although the pilots ejected safely, the crash resulted in 13 deaths and 19 injuries.