The attacks on Russian territory are increasing and yesterday, Friday, they affected several regions, some without a border with Ukraine. At least two people died in the Belgorod oblast as a result of a new bombardment, denounced the regional governor, Viacheslav Gladkov. In addition, two long-range drones struck two targets in the Smolensk Oblast at dawn. The drones attacked a refinery and electrical installations.
Ukrainian artillery hit a stretch of road in the village of Maslova Pristan, in the Shebekino district of Belgorod, Gladkov said. The shrapnel hit several vehicles, in one of which were two women who died. In another car, two men were injured.
Despite these victims, the day was calmer than Thursday, when "more than 850 projectiles" fell on that district, said the regional chief. With 39,000 inhabitants, the city of Shebékino, capital of that region, is 5 kilometers from the border. More than 2,500 people are being evacuated from this area, Gladkov said.
Ukrainian artillery has regularly pounded the Belgorod region since Putin ordered Russian armed forces to break into Ukrainian territory more than 15 months ago.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday it had repelled three attacks in the area in an attempt by Ukrainian troops to "invade" Russian territory. Moscow eliminated 30 enemies, the military report said.
Ukraine denies that its military is involved in such incursions and claims that they are carried out by groups of Russian volunteer fighters. They assured yesterday in messages on social networks that, despite the Moscow version, they continued to fight within the Belgorod region. One such anti-Putin militia, the Russian Freedom Legion, posted videos purportedly from Nóvaya Tavolzhanka, a Russian town between the border and the city of Shebékino.
Ukraine is also responding to Russian attacks on Kyiv and other of its regions with drones. The flights of its drones are more and more frequent and achieve more depth. Last Tuesday, he surprised by sending a rain of drones over Moscow, an action that only caused minor damage to residential buildings but very symbolic when it comes to the Russian capital. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attacking the civilian population “in order to intimidate them”.
The Kyiv authorities never claim responsibility for the attacks on Russian territory. Moscow accuses Ukraine of carrying out "terrorist attacks".
The attacks against the Smolensk province yesterday hit the towns of Divasí and Peresna, close to the regional capital, which is 270 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. There were no injuries, and the drones also did not cause any fires at the facility, said Vasili Anojin, acting regional governor.
Ukrainian drones also arrived in the early hours of Friday morning in the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow province, and the Kursk and Bryansk borders.
While this was happening on its territory, Russia announced yesterday that it has started a new offensive in the Donetsk province and that it has entrusted it to the Chechen Akhmat special troops, named after the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in honor of his father, the first president. of the Chechen Republic.
His offensive is focused on the flank of Márinka. Its commander, Apti Alaudinov, said on Thursday that the Russian army controls about 70% of that city.
The Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, said that on that front line, the most militarized since 2014, the most intense fighting is centered on Avdiyivka, a town near the capital of Donetsk.
