Governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has revealed that two women lost their lives in a shelling incident in the Russian border region.
The victims were traveling in a car near Maslova Pristan when they were struck by shrapnel.
In the neighboring Bryansk and Kursk regions, officials reported that buildings had been damaged in shelling and that there was an overnight drone attack. However, Ukrainian officials have not yet provided any comments on the matter.
Kyiv has consistently denied involvement in previous attacks across the border, asserting that these incidents are carried out by Russian anti-government groups.
Governor Gladkov also mentioned that two individuals in another vehicle were wounded in the shelling incident in Belgorod.
The Freedom of Russian Legion (FRL), one of the prominent anti-Kremlin paramilitary groups, claimed to have been engaged in military operations in the nearby village of Novaya Tavolzhanka.
They stated that two civilians were killed when Russian artillery mistakenly targeted their vehicle, believing it contained FRL members. However, these claims have not been independently verified.
Long-range drones also hit two towns in the Smolensk region, the local governor there said, while the Kaluga region’s head said an explosion had been reported in a forest.
Recent weeks have seen an increase in cross border attacks. On Thursday eight people were wounded in shelling in Belgorod and the latest strikes come more than a week after one of the most significant cross-border raids since the war began.
On Friday Ukrainian officials said air defences had shot down about 30 missiles and drones fired by Russia.
Russia has launched more than 20 missile and drone attacks on Ukraine over the past month.
Speaking from Helsinki on Friday, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “a strategic failure”.
America’s top diplomat was speaking during a visit to Finland, Nato’s newest member, as part of a series of trips to several Nordic countries.
He said the invasion had weakened Russia diplomatically, economically and militarily while strengthening the European Union, Nato and Ukrainian national identity.