An apartment building partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were deaths.
Online footage showed rescuers searching for survivors among the remains of the building’s stairwell and then fleeing the scene as part of the roof collapsed to the ground.
In a statement, Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s top law enforcement agency, said the 10-story block had been hit by Ukrainian shelling. It said there were dead and injured people among the rubble, but gave no further details.
Russia’s Health Ministry said at least 17 people were injured in the collapse. Rescue operations were carried out.
Air raid sirens were repeatedly sounded in the Belgorod region on Sunday morning. The city of Belgorod also came under fire on Saturday evening, killing one person and wounding 29 others, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
Cities across western Russia have been regularly attacked by drones since May 2023, with Russian officials blaming Kiev. Ukrainian officials never acknowledge responsibility for attacks on Russian territory or the Crimean Peninsula.
The Belgorod region, on Russia’s western border, has been the target of a large number of strikes. While most cross-border shelling takes place in rural areas, attacks have also been observed on the region’s capital. In December 2023, shelling in the heart of the city of Belgorod killed 25 people, prompting authorities to build public shelters.
