Tensions rose as a building in the Russian city of Belgorod faced significant damage on Sunday, suspected to have been caused by a Ukrainian drone.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the Governor of Belgorod, announced a “State of emergency in Belgorod” via his Telegram channel, displaying pictures of a multi-story building with broken windows and damaged tiles.
A key piece of evidence? A fragment adorned with distinct blue and yellow concentric circles, matching the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
“The reasons for the incident are being established,” Gladkov shared. He pointed to a likely cause, stating, “According to the preliminary version, the damages came about as a result of a UAV attack,” referring to the technical term for a combat drone.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, Gladkov personally inspected the damage site at 9 Yesenina Street, building 1, confirming that although there were no casualties, the explosion, which occurred at 5:43 p.m. local time, led to significant property damage.
This incident seems to be part of a growing pattern. Russia’s defense ministry previously reported that three drones were intercepted over the Belgorod region, with another in the Kursk region.
However, they claimed there were no casualties or damages. The connection between this report and Gladkov’s account remains unclear.
It’s essential to note the increasing number of drone strikes deep within Russian territory. Particularly alarming was the drone that was destroyed over the Kremlin earlier in May.
The subsequent weeks saw civilian areas in Moscow targeted, with the capital’s business district facing attacks twice in mere days this month.
