Russian governor blames Ukrainian drone for explosion

10 May, 2023 08:52 / Updated 1 year ago
A library and post office were among the buildings damaged in the latest incident in Belgorod Region

A Ukrainian drone damaged two homes and other property in Russia’s Belgorod Region after exploding in a small village, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has said. Media reports claimed that two drones had attacked the border region overnight.

The incident happened in the village of Olkhovatka, some 40km (25 miles) from the border with Ukraine. According to the governor, the explosion also damaged a local library, a postal office, a medical facility, and a car, in addition to people’s homes. Evidence pointed to an “enemy drone” detonating, Gladkov said on Wednesday morning.

The SHOT news outlet previously claimed that two drones from Ukraine had crossed into Belgorod Region overnight. One of them was disabled by the Russian military, while another, described as resembling a plane, hit a power line and crashed in Olkhovatka, the report said.

Belgorod Region has faced regular attacks from Ukraine. The town of Shebekino, which lies around 20km from the border, came under the latest round of artillery shelling on Tuesday, Gladkov reported. Blasts damaged eight houses and two cars, according to the official. Neither incident resulted in any human casualties.

The governor later reported that a new attack on Shebekino had taken place shortly after his visit to the town on Wednesday. A man suffered a shrapnel wound to the head and died on his way to the hospital, the official said.