Russia reports strike on Russia's Belgorod region, fire breaks out, gas pipeline damaged

Local social media warned of missile threats in the region shortly after midnight, with alerts lasting about half an hour. By around 3:30 a.m. (according to the Moscow time zone), reports emerged of hits near the village of Rakytne and a fire emergency in the Rakityansky district.

Additionally, footage of the fire was circulated online.

Governor Gladkov stated that strikes had been carried out in the village of Rakytne, causing damage to at least 10 residential buildings, 2 commercial properties, power lines, and a gas pipeline.

The Russian official reported that the villages of Rakytne, Borispolye, and Novoleninskoe were temporarily without gas.

Gladkov also announced that the attack resulted in five fatalities and twelve injuries.

The Belgorod governor has traditionally blamed the Ukrainian side for this attack on the region.

Explosions and fires at various facilities are not uncommon in the Belgorod region. The Russian side frequently reports attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces but also acknowledges multiple instances where Russian aviation mistakenly dropped bombs on the region.

Earlier, on the night of July 9, the city of Belgorod came under fire, resulting in damage to infrastructure. The Shebekino urban district in the region was also targeted.

At the end of July, Russian authorities reported a fire at a substation in the Belgorod region following a drone attack.

Additionally, on the night of June 25, the Russian city of Belgorod suffered a drone attack. Before that, it was reported that in the Belgorod region, a drone destroyed a Russian military base located in an abandoned school building.