Two people were killed after a Ukrainian drone crashed into a residential house in Russia’s Belgorod region, setting it on fire, local authorities said on Monday, as cross-border drone attacks intensified overnight.
House gutted by fire after drone strike
Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said first responders discovered the bodies of two people at the scene after the overnight drone attack. He shared images of the house in Stary Oskol engulfed in flames and thick smoke.
Stary Oskol, a city with a population of about 2.2 lakh, is located roughly 100 kilometres from the border with Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
Multiple drones intercepted
Russia’s Russian Defense Ministry said its air defence systems destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod region between Sunday night and Monday morning.
Officials added that drones were also intercepted over the Krasnodar, Rostov, Kursk, Bryansk and Astrakhan regions. Authorities in Krasnodar and Bryansk reported damage to property and injuries linked to the attacks.
Airports temporarily shut
At least five airports in southern Russia were temporarily closed as a precaution during the drone attacks, officials said. Normal operations were later restored after security checks.
War enters third year
Both Ukraine and Russia have increasingly relied on drone and missile strikes as the conflict continues. Ukrainian officials have previously described attacks on Russian territory as retaliation for Russia’s full-scale invasion and continued occupation of Ukrainian regions.
The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has frequently come under attack since the war began, with civilian areas increasingly affected.
Authorities said further assessments were underway to determine the full extent of the damage from the latest strikes.