Ukrainian missile attack kills 15 at apartment block, Russia says

Russia's emergency ministry said early on Monday that 15 people were killed when the building collapsed
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT
The collapsed apartment building which was damaged by a Ukrainian strike in Belgorod
AFP via Getty Images
Jacob Phillips13 May 2024

At least 15 people were killed and scores injured when part of an apartment block collapsed after being struck by fragments of a Ukrainian missile shot down by Russia.

In one of the deadliest attacks to date on the region of Belgorod, Ukraine launched what Russian officials said was a massive missile attack, involving Tochka ballistic missiles and Adler and RM-70 Vampire (MLRS) multiple-launch rocket systems.

Russia's emergency ministry said early on Monday that 15 people were killed when the building collapsed.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the region, said that four more people died on Sunday in separate attacks by Kyiv.

Twenty-seven people were injured on Sunday in various attacks, Gladkov said on the Telegram messaging app.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT
Footage of the partially collapsed apartment building which was damaged by a Ukrainian strike
AFP via Getty Images

Russia's defence ministry said at least 12 missiles were involved in the Belgorod strikes, which it called a "terrorist attack on residential areas".

"Fragments of one of the downed Tochka-U missiles damaged an apartment building in the city of Belgorod," the ministry said.

Footage from the scene showed at least 10 storeys of the building collapsing. Later, as emergency services scoured the rubble for survivors, the roof collapsed and people ran for their lives, dust and rubble falling behind them.

Both Ukraine and Russia say they do not target civilians in the war which erupted when Russia invaded its smaller neighbour in February of 2022. The war has killed thousands, displaced millions and turned Ukrainian cities into rubble.

The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the attack, which it said was "barbaric". Russia's foreign ministry said the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure was criminal.

Kyiv says that targeting Russia's military, transport and energy infrastructure undermines Moscow's war effort and is an answer to the countless deadly attacks by Russia on civilian infrastructure and residential areas.

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