Russia has claimed that two Ukrainian helicopters were responsible for an attack on the border village of Klimovo in Bryansk Region on Thursday, which left seven people injured. The incident had earlier been attributed to the Ukrainian military by the region’s governor.
An update on the attack was given by Russia’s Investigative Committee, which said it was treating the incident as a criminal conspiracy. Its statement said two Ukrainian military attack helicopters crossed into Russian airspace at around midday local time, flying at a low altitude.
The aircraft fired heavy weapons at the village, delivering at least six strikes on residential buildings, the statement said. Seven people were injured and six houses were damaged in the attack, the investigators said.
Earlier, health officials said a two-year-old boy and his mother, who is pregnant, were among the seven victims of the attack. Two people were said to be in a serious condition.
The attack was one of two separate incidents in the border area on Thursday that Russian officials blamed on Ukrainian forces. The second one was an alleged Ukrainian shelling of a border crossing some 40km southwest of Klimovo.
Russian border guards said a group of some 30 refugees from Ukraine came under mortar fire as they were passing the checkpoint. Nobody was hurt in the attack, but two civilian cars were damaged, the report said.
On April 1, a similar Ukrainian air raid targeted an oil storage facility in the Russian city of Belgorod. Investigators reported that two helicopters fired at least four missiles, causing significant damage
The Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday warned it may escalate military action in Ukraine if the country’s military conducts more attacks on targets in Russia. “Decision-making centers” in Kiev may be targeted, the statement said.
Village in another Russian region comes under Ukrainian fire – officials
RT
Another Russian village located near the border with Ukraine was shelled on Thursday, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod Region, has said. Earlier on Thursday it was reported that two Ukrainian helicopters were responsible for an attack on the border village of Klimovo in Bryansk Region, and in a separate incident a border crossing some 40km southwest of Klimovo was shelled.
The village of Spodaryushino in Belgorod Region was also targeted, Gladkov wrote on Telegram. “There are no injuries or fatalities among the civilian population,” he said, adding that damage to property was also avoided.
The residents of Spodaryushino and the nearby village of Bezymeno have been evacuated to safety, while additional security personnel were deployed at both locations, according to the governor.
It was the second attack on Russian territory from Ukraine on Thursday. Earlier in the day, seven people, including a pregnant woman and a child, were injured in an airstrike on the village of Klimovo in Bryansk Region, some 10km north of the border.
According to Moscow, the civilians were targeted by two Ukrainian helicopters, which had violated the country’s airspace.
On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that it would intensify military action in the neighboring country and even target “decision-making centers” in Kiev if Ukraine continues with its cross-border attacks
Seven injured in cross-border shelling from Ukraine
Seven people, including a pregnant woman and a child, were injured on Thursday in a shelling that targeted a village in Russia located close to the border with Ukraine, Russian officials said. A separate attack targeting a nearby border crossing was reported by the guards.
The first incident happened in the village of Klimovo in Russia’s Bryansk Region, some 10km north of the border. Projectiles fired by Ukrainian troops hit residential buildings, Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz said.
Seven people were reported injured in the incident by health officials. A list of victims published by Russian media said a two-year-old boy, a 74-year-old woman, and a 35-year-old man were seriously hurt during the shelling. A later update by the Health Ministry said the toddler’s injuries were moderate rather than serious. The baby’s 25-year-old pregnant mother was also among the victims.
Local residents said they heard three explosions. Footage from the scene showed heavy black smoke rising into the air. Local officials said two buildings caught fire after the attack, but they were dealt with by firefighters. Local schools canceled in-person classes following the incident.
Klimovo is located some 10km from the border with Ukraine’s northern Chernigov Region. Russia pulled back its troops from Chernigov earlier this month, citing tentative progress made during peace talks with Kiev.
The second attack hit the Novye Yurkovichi checkpoint, some 40km southwest of Klimovo, according to a statement released by the local border guard branch of the FSB. It said mortar shells fired from Ukrainian territory had hit at the moment when a group of refugees from Ukraine were crossing the border. Two vehicles were damaged, but no casualties were reported.
On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that it may escalate military action in Ukraine and even target “decision-making centers” in Kiev, unless Ukrainian attacks on targets in Russian territory stop.
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