Civilians injured in Ukrainian drone raid on Belgorod Region – governor

Four civilians have been injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on a civilian bus in Russia’s Belgorod Region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has said.

The raid targeted a service vehicle transporting employees in the town of Shebekino, some 5km from the Ukrainian border, Gladkov wrote in a Telegram post in the early hours of Wednesday.

Among the injured was a woman who suffered wounds to her arms, while another was struck in her arms and feet. One man suffered shellshock and another received superficial wounds, the governor said. All of the injured are receiving the necessary treatment, he added.

Images circulating on social media which have not been verified show what appears to be a small bus ditched on a rural road, with damage to its side section and shattered windows.

The Russian Defense Ministry has said that air defenses destroyed a total of 54 Ukrainian drones overnight, three of which were eliminated over Belgorod Region.

Belgorod Region has been routinely targeted by Ukrainian artillery and UAV attacks throughout the conflict with Moscow, resulting in numerous civilian casualties.

Russian officials have repeatedly signaled their intention to create a buffer zone on Ukrainian-controlled territory to protect the population in border areas from indiscriminate attacks.