New blow for Putin with Russian region in flames after barrage of Vampire missiles
Volodymyr Zelensky is continuing to push for permission to target Russia with long-range, Western-supplied missiles.
The Russian border region of Belgorod has been rocked by multiple Ukrainian missile strikes on September 16, with at least one civilian killed, local Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has claimed.
The latest explosions come as Kyiv makes fresh demands to be allowed to strike deeper into Russia after a meeting between US and British leaders produced no visible shift in their policy on the use of long-range weapons.
At least 10 blasts were reported across the region, with a Czech-designed MLRS Vampire missile reportedly striking vehicles and a residential building.
Gladkov, posting on the Telegram app, said: "According to preliminary data, eight civilians were injured.
"One of the victims is in critical condition, the rest have moderate injuries. Emergency medical services teams delivered the injured to medical institutions in Belgorod.”
As a result of what Gladkov called "direct hits", a private residence and more than 15 cars burst into flames.
He continued: "Fire crews are on scene - open fire has been extinguished.
“I arrived at one of the addresses where the house had completely burned down. Fortunately, no one was hurt: they heard the siren in time and took refuge in the bathroom.”
Gladkov added: "Windows have been knocked out, roofs and facades have been damaged on the territory of four private houses. A gas pipeline has also been damaged.
"In the Belgorod district, in the village of Dubovoye, an apartment building, the roof of a private house, a garage and a fence have been damaged.
"Four cars were damaged by shrapnel. Information about the consequences is being clarified. Emergency services are working on the ground.”
Gladkov subsequently said one woman had been killed during the airstrikes - although it was not clear whether this was in addition to the casualties previously mentioned.
The renewed appeal by the Government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came as Kyiv said Russia launched more drone and artillery attacks into Ukraine overnight.
Speaking on Saturday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said: “Russian terror begins at weapons depots, airfields and military bases inside the Russian Federation. Permission to strike deep into Russia will speed up the solution.”
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called on allies to green-light the use of Western-provided long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.
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However, up to now, the US has allowed Kyiv to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Discussions on allowing long-range strikes were believed to be on the table when US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met in Washington on Friday but no decision was announced immediately.
Mr Zelensky has been pressing the US and other allies to allow his forces to use Western weapons to target air bases and launch sites farther afield as Russia has stepped up assaults on Ukraine’s electricity grid and utilities before winter.
He did not directly comment on the high-profile meeting, but said that more than 70 Russian drones had been launched into Ukraine overnight. The Ukrainian air force later said that 76 Russian drones had been sighted, of which 72 were shot down.
Writing on X, he explained: “We need to boost our air defence and long-range capabilities to protect our people.
“We are working on this with all of Ukraine’s partners.”
Other overnight attacks saw one person killed by Russian artillery fire as energy infrastructure was targeted in Ukraine’s Sumy region.
A 54-year-old driver was killed and seven more people were hospitalised, Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy said.
Another three people died Saturday in a Russian strike on an agricultural enterprise in the front-line town of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Meanwhile, officials in Moscow have continued to make public statements warning that long-range strikes would provoke further escalation between Russia and the West. The remarks are in line with the narrative the Kremlin has promoted since early in the war, accusing NATO countries of de-facto participation in the conflict and threatening a response.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency Tass on Saturday that the US and British governments were pushing the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, toward “poorly controlled escalation.”
