Russia says two separate Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian and industrial areas have killed 19 people and injured dozens more in Belgorod and Nizhnekamsk within a matter of days.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the attacks in a statement issued August 10, describing them as deliberate strikes against civilians.
The claims come from the Russian government and have not been independently verified in this account.
Belgorod Attack Leaves Six Dead
According to Zakharova, a drone assault on residential areas of Belgorod during the night of August 8-9 killed six civilians.
Another 27 people were reportedly wounded, including two boys aged four and nine.
Russian officials said the attack damaged approximately 30 apartment buildings, along with social, administrative and commercial facilities. More than 30 vehicles were also reportedly damaged.
Nizhnekamsk Strike Causes Heavier Casualties
A separate attack was reported on the morning of August 10 in Nizhnekamsk, a city in Russia’s Tatarstan region.
Zakharova said drones struck residential and industrial buildings, killing 13 people and injuring another 39.
The reported casualties make the Nizhnekamsk incident the deadliest of the two attacks cited by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Moscow Opens Terrorism Investigations
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened criminal proceedings over the attacks on terrorism charges, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Russian authorities said investigators would work to identify those responsible and promised severe punishment or military retaliation against those involved.
The Kremlin has repeatedly characterized Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory as terrorism, while Ukraine has generally framed its long-range attacks as part of its broader war effort against Russian military capabilities and infrastructure.
Zakharova Accuses Kyiv of Targeting Civilians
Zakharova accused Ukrainian forces of deliberately attacking civilian areas and argued that the reported strikes had no legitimate military purpose.
She said Russia has continued to record attacks against civilians in other regions and alleged that children, women and elderly people have been among the casualties.
The Russian spokeswoman characterized the attacks as part of a continuing campaign against Russian civilians rather than isolated battlefield incidents.
Moscow Calls for International Condemnation
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on international organizations, foreign governments and independent media to condemn what it described as Ukrainian terrorist attacks.
Zakharova warned that failing to condemn the strikes would, in Moscow’s view, amount to tacit support for further attacks against Russian civilians.
Civilian Toll Adds to Escalating Cross-Border Strikes
The reported attacks come amid an intensifying campaign of drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides increasingly capable of launching unmanned aircraft deep into territory controlled by the opposing side.
The latest Russian allegations underscore the growing risks faced by civilians as long-range drone attacks increasingly reach population centers far from the front line. Attribution and the circumstances surrounding individual strikes remain contested in wartime, making independent verification of casualty and damage claims particularly important.
