Ukrainian forces blamed for deadly Belgorod explosions, raising toll in Russia-Ukraine clashes
Russian authorities allege that the city was hit by missiles launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In one captured recording, the moment of the explosion can be seen.
3:31 AM EST, December 31, 2023
Belgorod casualty toll
The explosions occurred in the city center, sparking fires. The police have since cordoned off the city center. The Ministry of Emergency Situations has urged residents to evacuate their homes and seek refuge in shelters.
Russian news agency TASS reports that the attack resulted in at least 10 deaths and 45 injuries.
Massive missile assault on Ukraine
The death toll from Friday's Russian attack on several regions of Ukraine has climbed to 39, according to the most recent updates from local authorities on Telegram. There are over 100 reported injuries.
Serhiy Popko, the Chief of the Kyiv Military City Administration, conveyed on Saturday the retrieval of another body from the ruins of a collapsed building, bringing the death toll in the capital to 16.
Anatoliy Kurtev, the secretary of the city council, reported on Saturday that Zaporizhia had suffered nine fatalities.
Previously reported were six deaths in Dnipro following a Russian missile strike on a shopping center and a maternity ward, four deaths in Odesa, three in Kharkiv, and one in Lviv.
Russian forces executed a broad rocket assault on multiple targets within Ukraine on Friday, also deploying Shahed kamikaze drones. Ukrainian police report that they have identified 51 instances of shelling. Notable damage includes residential buildings, critical civil infrastructure, schools, and churches.
