BELGOROD, Russia: A deadly wave of overnight missile strikes has again brought the Russia-Ukraine war to civilian areas, killing six people and wounding four others, including a 14-year-old child, in Russia’s Belgorod region, acting Gov.
Alexander Shuvaev said Monday, as Moscow and Kyiv intensify long-range attacks while fighting and peace efforts remain largely stalled.
Shuvaev said the strikes hit the village of Koloskovo in the Valuysky district, about 15 kilometers (10 miles) from the Ukrainian border. A building caught fire and a vehicle was damaged, while the injured child was taken to a hospital and two other wounded people received medical treatment, he said.
The attack came a day after Russia and Ukraine launched a series of large-scale missile and drone strikes against targets deep inside each other’s territory, with officials reporting at least 19 deaths on both sides.
The latest violence comes as frontline fighting has shown little movement and diplomatic efforts have made limited progress. Both countries have increasingly relied on long-range attacks, raising concerns over the growing civilian toll.
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Russia has carried out near-daily missile and drone strikes across Ukraine since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Moscow has recently intensified the use of ballistic missiles, which can be difficult for Ukraine’s air defenses to intercept.
Ukraine has also expanded its attacks inside Russia, targeting facilities it says are connected to Moscow’s military and economic capabilities. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said strikes on Russian oil refineries and other strategic sites are aimed at weakening the country’s war effort.
Ukrainian forces have also targeted facilities linked to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, alleging that the company supplies components used in Russian drone production.
The escalating attacks have contributed to a rise in civilian casualties. United Nations figures cited in reports showed that 437 civilians were killed in Ukraine in July, the highest monthly death toll since May 2022. Russian authorities reported 79 civilian deaths in Russia during the same month, up from the previous month.
Both Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of targeting civilians, while each side maintains that its attacks are directed at military or strategic targets.
With the battlefield largely stalled and negotiations showing little progress, the continued missile and drone strikes are extending the war’s impact far beyond the front line and deepening the risks faced by civilians on both sides.
