A number of Russian governors reported attacks on their regions on Friday, as the war spills over from Ukraine’s borders into Russian territory.
Two drones attacked fuel and energy facilities in Smolensk, western Russia early Friday, the region’s acting governor said.
Gov. Vasily Anokhin wrote on Telegram that no casualties or “critical damage” were reported.
The two long-range drones struck around 3 a.m. in the villages of Peresna and Divasy, according to Anokhin.
Local officials in several Russian regions bordering Ukraine reported shelling, including in Bryansk, where Gov. Aleksandr Bogomaz directly blamed the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU).
“The AFU shelled the village of Novaya Pogoshch, Suzemsky district. There were no casualties. A two-family house caught fire because of the shelling. Operational services are working on site,” he said.
A house also caught fire from shelling in the town of Lomakovka, he added.
Belgorod evacuations: The nearby border region of Belgorod has seen continued shelling, allegedly from Ukrainian forces, according to its governor.
Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said 2,500 people have been moved to temporary accommodation to shelter from the incoming fire.
“Of course, conditions are not easy. Not easy in that they are huge sports facilities where there are hundreds of beds where adults and little ones, the elderly and the young sleep,” Gladkov wrote on Telegram.
On Thursday, Gladkov said on Telegram that the region had seen dozens of strikes over the past day, with damage to roads, property and vehicles. Most of the attacks were from artillery and mortar, with reports of people wounded but nobody killed, he said at the time.
Belgorod has seen rising violence in recent days, following a raid by Russian dissident fighters last week. Ukrainian officials have denied direct involvement, saying the fighters were acting independently.
On Thursday, anti-Putin Russian nationals claimed they were again fighting inside Russian territory, which Moscow’s military denied.
