Ukrainian Attack on Belgorod Leaves Five Dead and 46 Injured

Five people were killed and 46 wounded in a Ukrainian attack on the southwestern Russian city of Belgorod, according to local authorities quoted by Reuters. The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, stated that many of those injured in the attack were hospitalized. In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the assault and urged other governments and international organizations to do the same.

The attack occurred as Russian forces continue their extensive strikes on Ukrainian territory amid Kyiv's ongoing offensive. In another development, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that Ukraine had received approval to conduct ground operations on Russian territory, specifically in the Kursk region. Stoltenberg, in an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag, asserted that Ukraine was within its rights to carry out the offensive as a form of self-defense, emphasizing that the right to self-defense extends beyond national borders. He also mentioned that Russian soldiers, tanks, and bases are considered legitimate targets under international law.

Stoltenberg noted that Kyiv did not coordinate the operation with NATO, and AFP reported that the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk has not yet halted the Russian advance in Donbas. Meanwhile, massive Russian airstrikes have continued, claiming six more lives last night, including a 14-year-old girl, when a high-rise apartment block in Kharkiv was hit.