Belgorod: Shelling in Russian border region kills two, governor says

Two women person been killed successful shelling successful the Russian borderline portion of Belgorod, its politician says.

Vyacheslav Gladkov said the victims were deed by shrapnel arsenic they were travelling successful a car adjacent the colony of Maslova Pristan.

Officials successful the neighbouring Bryansk and Kursk regions said buildings had been damaged successful shelling and an overnight drone attack.

Ukrainian officials person truthful acold not commented.

However Kyiv has denied engagement successful erstwhile attacks crossed the border, which it says are carried retired by Russian anti-government groups.

In Belgorod, Mr Gladkov said 2 much radical travelling successful different car had been wounded successful the shelling.

One of the astir salient anti-Kremlin paramilitary groups said it had been engaging successful subject operations successful the adjacent colony of Novaya Tavolzhanka.

The Freedom of Russian Legion (FRL) said 2 civilians had been killed aft the Russian artillery mistook their conveyance for a car containing FRL members.

Neither assertion has been independently verified.

Long-range drones besides deed 2 towns successful the Smolensk region, the section politician determination said, portion the Kaluga region's caput said an detonation had been reported successful a forest.

Recent weeks person seen an summation successful transverse borderline attacks. On Thursday 8 radical were wounded successful shelling successful Belgorod and the latest strikes travel much than a week aft one of the astir important cross-border raids since the warfare began.

On Friday Ukrainian officials said aerial defences had changeable down astir 30 missiles and drones fired by Russia.

Russia has launched much than 20 rocket and drone attacks connected Ukraine implicit the past month.

Speaking from Helsinki connected Friday, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken called Russia's penetration of Ukraine "a strategical failure".

America's apical diplomat was speaking during a sojourn to Finland, Nato's newest member, arsenic portion of a bid of trips to respective Nordic countries.

He said the penetration had weakened Russia diplomatically, economically and militarily portion strengthening the European Union, Nato and Ukrainian nationalist identity.