Russia says they shot down drones

In Kyiv, Ukraine, a local official stated on Wednesday that Russian forces had managed to shoot down a significant amount  of drones in the southern Belgorod region of Russia. This development followed Moscow's announcement the previous day that its forces had successfully destroyed a cross-border raid originating from Ukraine in the same area.

According to Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, the drones were intercepted during the overnight hours of the province. In a post on Telegram, he mentioned that there were no injuries reported, but there was damage to unspecified administrative buildings, residential buildings, and cars.

Ukrainian officials did not provide an immediate comment or response to the situation.

The day before, Russia declared that it had successfully repelled a significant cross-border attack, considering it one of the most serious incidents of the war. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, over 70 attackers were killed during a 24-hour battle in Belgorod. However, there was no mention of any Russian casualties in the official statement.

Igor Konashenkov, the spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry, stated that the attackers were decisively defeated by local troops, airstrikes, and artillery. This combined effort resulted in the routing of the attackers.

According to officials, twelve local civilians were injured during the attack, while an elderly woman tragically lost her life during the evacuation process.

Moscow claimed that the incursion, which started on Monday, was carried out by Ukrainian military saboteurs. On the other hand, Kyiv described it as a rebellion against the Russian government by local Russian supporters. It is difficult to reconcile these conflicting accounts, and it remains uncertain who exactly was behind the attack and what its specific goals were.