At Least 21 Killed in Shelling Attack in Russian Border City of Belgorod

At least 21 people, including three children, were killed in a shelling attack in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Saturday, according to local officials. An additional 110 people were wounded in the strike, making it one of the deadliest attacks on Russian soil since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine 22 months ago.

The attack occurred close to a public ice rink in the center of the city, which lies 25 miles north of the Ukrainian border and 415 miles south of Moscow. Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported the casualties and said the attack was one of the deadliest since the start of the conflict.

The shelling occurred the day after an 18-hour aerial bombardment across Ukraine killed at least 41 civilians. In response, Russian authorities have accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack in Belgorod.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula. Since then, the two countries have been locked in a bitter dispute over the region. Saturday’s attack is the latest in a long line of violence that has plagued the region for years.