Russia says Ukrainian drone hit Belgorod city hall

This handout photograph published on the official Telegram account of Belgorod mayor Valentin Demidov, on March 12, 2024, shows the damaged Belgorod city hall hit by a drone attack. (Photo by Handout / TELEGRAM / @v_v_demidov / AFP)

MOSCOW, March 12, 2024 (AFP) – A Ukrainian drone hit city hall in the Russian border city of Belgorod, injuring two people and blowing out the building’s windows, the regional governor said on Tuesday.

The strike came amid a wave of attacks on Russia’s border regions and an announcement by Moscow that it had foiled multiple attempted cross-border raids by pro-Ukrainian paramilitaries.

“In Belgorod, an enemy drone crashed into the city administration building,” governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram.

One person received shrapnel wounds and another was concussed, he said.

Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov posted photos of blown-out windows and damage to the building’s facade on his Telegram channel.

“The device crashed into the entrance of the building,” he said.