Ukrainian drone hits city administration building in Russia's Belgorod

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - A Ukrainian drone hit the town hall building in the Russian city of Belgorod, injuring four people, the region's Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Tuesday.

"As a result of the explosion, windows were broken in the building, the facade was damaged. All emergency services are working on site," Gladkov said in a statement on Telegram.

Of the injured, two were hospitalized, one with shrapnel wounds and another with contusion, while the two others got medical assistance on site, he added.

The strike on the city administration marks a new stage in the Russian-Ukrainian confrontation as besides a drone attack on the Kremlin in 2023, the two sides had avoided targeting government buildings. Russia started its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

Soon after the attack, another Ukrainian drone fell on the roof of a shopping center of the central railway station, Gladkov said, adding: "There are no casualties. According to preliminary data, one passenger car was damaged."

Clinics in Belgorod stopped their practice due to rocket alerts, local administration said in a separate statement.

In the city of Shebekino, also in the Belgorod region, several apartments were destroyed after a residential building was hit with a shell, Gladkov said, noting that three industrial zones, a power line and railways were also damaged by other drones.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Berlin in February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would "surprise" Russia in 2024.