The “unprofessional actions” of Vladimir Putin’s soldiers led to the death of Russians in the border city of Belgorod, it has been claimed.
While Kyiv hasn’t officially taken responsibility for the war actions, Ukrainian forces are highly believed to have launched a series of airstrikes on the Belgorod region on December 30, hours after a relentless 18-hour missile and drone attack on Ukraine.
Russian officials claimed the Ukrainian airstrikes killed 21 people and injured 110 more in Belgorod city – an account that Express.co.uk can’t independently verify.
While they didn’t play down the number of casualties, an unnamed Ukrainian security service source placed the blame on Russia for the death and wounding of civilians.
The source claimed something stressed multiple times by Kyiv – that Ukraine does not target civilians.
As a result, the Ukrainian Defence Forces launched on Saturday a series of strikes on military facilities. The damage that resulted in civilian areas, the source suggested, was caused by incapable Russian personnel.
The source claimed, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda: “Joint activities of the Defence Forces continue as a response to the Russian missile attack on Ukrainian cities and the killing of civilians.
“The Ukrainian Defence Forces are working on a number of targets, specifically military facilities.
“The destruction of civilian infrastructure that we are seeing in Belgorod is the result of unprofessional actions by Russian air defence, as well as deliberate and planned provocations.”
Videos and pictures reporting the attacks on Belgorod show blasts and fires breaking out in the city. A horrifying clip shows an explosion going off in the middle of a busy road, with people running away from the rising plumes of smoke and cars escaping the area.
Speaking about the deadliest attack to date on Belgorod, Russian newspaper Kommersant cited a source close to the Russian Investigative Committee, who claimed missiles hit the city after being fired from a multiple rocket launcher located in the Ukrainian Kharkiv region.
Among the targets, the source added, were a skating rink in central Cathedral Square, a shopping centre and residential buildings.
Belgorod, which borders northern Ukraine, has suffered shelling and drone attacks blamed on Ukraine all year. However, none had so far caused such damage and casualties.
Thomas Phipps, Britain’s envoy to the United Nations, noted the war began after the unlawful invasion of Ukraine by Russia, as he said: “If Russia wants someone to blame for the deaths of Russians in this war, it should start with President Putin.”
The shellings came hours after Moscow had carried out yet another missile and drone attack on civilians which targeted the whole of Ukraine and lasted for some 18 hours.
After the Russian Defence Ministry pledged to retaliate, during the night between December 30 and December 31 Russian forces pummeled the Kharkiv region with missiles.
