Overnight air assaults on the border areas between Russia and Ukraine have incited mutual accusations between the countries. Ukrainian authorities reported casualties in the Sumy region, with two deaths and four injuries, two of which were suffered by children. The military administration of the Ukrainian northeastern region also highlighted damage to homes and vehicles. Meanwhile, Russia reported injuries to three civilians in its southwestern Belgorod region due to Ukraine’s air strikes, according to Vyacheslav Gladkov, the region’s governor.
Residential properties were severely hit in the region, with two buildings completely ruined and over 15 inflicted with damage, Gladkov stated. The Russian defence department also reported the downing of two drones launched form Ukraine over Belgorod.
The claims made by both countries couldn’t be independently confirmed by Reuters. Attack patterns in both Sumy and Belgorod regions have shown a repetitive trend, with both countries arguing that their strikes are focused on disabling the other’s war-critical infrastructure, not targeting civilian populations.
The Russia-instigated conflict, which began with a complete invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the displacement of millions more. Large parts of Ukrainian settlements have been reduced to ruins.
In other developments, the Russian military drive towards Pokrovsk, a strategic Ukrainian spot, appears to have halted in a key area, with progress being made in other parts. This has been corroborated by battlefield maps utilising open-source data, including satellite imagery and online videos. Despite this pause, the contention over villages and locations east of the town — an important centre for Ukraine’s defence of eastern Donbas — continues to be in flux, with no sign of withdrawal from the area by the sizeable Russian troops.