Russian officials claimed that at least seven people were killed and 17 injured when a piece of a Russian residential block collapsed after being hit by a Soviet-era missile launched by Ukraine and shot down by Russia.
In one of the bloodiest attacks on the Belgorod region to date, Ukraine launched what Russian officials described as a massive missile attack with Tochka ballistic missiles and Adler and RM-70 Vampire (MLRS) multiple-launch rocket systems.
Footage from the scene showed at least 10 levels of the building collapse.
Later, as emergency services searched the ruins for survivors, the roof fell and people fled for their lives, dust and rubble trailing after them.
Russia’s defence ministry described the attack, as a terrorist attack on residential areas that occurred at 08:40 GMT and involved at least 12 missiles.
“Fragments of one of the downed Tochka-U missiles damaged an apartment building in the city of Belgorod”, the ministry continued.
According to the report, at least seven people were killed and 17 injured, including two children. Others were still trapped beneath the rubble.
Both Ukraine and Russia claim not to target civilians, despite the fact that both sides have killed many people during the war.
Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, stated, “The strike was a targeted attack on civilians which showed the criminality of both Ukraine and its backers, primarily the United States and its European allies”.
Ukraine made no immediate statement about the attack.
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