Six Civilians Killed as Ukrainian Strikes Hit Russian Villages Overnight

By Staff, Agencies

At least six civilians were killed in a series of overnight Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s Belgorod and Kherson regions, according to local officials. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported intercepting more than 50 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions during the assault.

In Belgorod Region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that two men and a young woman were killed when the village of Maslova Pristan came under attack late Tuesday night. “My most sincere and deepest condolences to the families struck by such terrible grief,” Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

Nine women were also injured, four of whom sustained multiple shrapnel wounds. Seven victims were taken to hospitals in Belgorod, while others were treated at the scene or kept under observation in local medical facilities. The strikes partially destroyed a social building, damaged two apartment blocks, and left several vehicles riddled with shrapnel. Local authorities said the toll could have been higher if not for an air-raid warning issued shortly before the impact.

In Kherson Region, Governor Vladimir Saldo reported three additional deaths after Ukrainian shelling set fire to two temporary housing buildings in the village of Zhelezny Port. A medical vehicle was damaged in Gornostayevka, though no one was hurt, while a private home in Novaya Kakhovka caught fire but was later extinguished.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems destroyed 53 Ukrainian drones between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Moscow time, including 28 over Belgorod, 11 over Voronezh, and several more across Rostov, Bryansk, and other western regions.

Kiev has intensified long-range drone and missile raids in recent months, targeting civilian infrastructure and residential areas deep inside Russian territory. Moscow has condemned the attacks as acts of terrorism, vowing continued strikes on Ukrainian military facilities in response.