Air-raid warning issued in Russia's Belgorod again, death toll from incompetent Russian air defences rises to 24

Olena Roshchina — Sunday, 31 December 2023, 11:14

Viacheslav Gladkov, Governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast. Photo: Gladkov on Telegram

Russian authorities have announced that the death toll in the city of Belgorod from the 30 December attack which they claim was carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces has risen to 24, with over 40 buildings damaged.

Source: Viacheslav Gladkov, Governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, on Telegram; Kremlin-aligned Russian news agencies TASS and RBC

Details: A missile warning siren sounded again in Belgorod on the morning of 31 December, but the all-clear was given later.

Gladkov claimed that the death toll among civilians killed in Belgorod, supposedly due to the 30 December Ukrainian attack, had risen to 24 as of 08:30 Moscow time.

Earlier, Ukrainska Pravda's source reported that the Ukrainian Defence Forces had been targeting Russian military facilities but that unprofessional actions by Russian air defence caused wreckage to fall in the city centre.

TASS claimed that 44 buildings were damaged in the "missile attack", including 33 homes, three shopping centres and four administrative and social facilities, and 50 cars were damaged or destroyed.

All public celebrations in the border Buturlinovsky district of Voronezh Oblast were cancelled due to the bombardment of Belgorod.

Russia's Kursk Governor Roman Starovoit urged residents of his oblast to stay at home and spend time with their families and friends during the New Year festivities and called for "moderation and restraint in the coming holidays" in response to the grief in the neighbouring oblast.

Background:

On 30 December, explosions rocked Belgorod, Russia, and debris fell in the city centre after Russian air defence was activated. A source in the security services told Ukrainska Pravda that the Defence Forces had targeted Russian military facilities in Belgorod Oblast, but due to "unprofessional actions by air defence" and "planned provocations", the debris fell in the city centre.
Experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have assessed that Ukrainian drones launched over 30 December likely hit many of their intended targets in Russia, as evidenced by a difference in numbers: the Ukrainians announced more than 70 drones launched, the Russians said 32 had been intercepted.

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