“Ukraine’s missile, UAV attacks on Russian regions clearly of terrorist nature,” says Russia

Moscow [Russia], August 15 (ANI): Moscow has accused Kyiv of carrying out barbarous attacks devoid of military purpose to ‘terrorise’ Russian civilians, after the Ukrainian forces made advancements in southern Russia recently.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, in its recent claim, has said that Ukrainian strike on Kursk on August 11 hit a residential building, which injured 13 civilians, two of whom are in serious condition.

“The Kyiv regime continues to carry out its terrorist attacks with the single goal to terrorise the Russian civilians. While being perfectly aware that these barbarous attacks are devoid of any military purpose, it continues to work off the loans provided by its masters,” the official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said at a briefing on Wednesday (local time).

“On the night of August 11, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a massive strike on Kursk, with tactical Tochka-U missiles fired at the city. Most of them were destroyed by air defence systems. However, one of them hit a residential multi-story building, resulting in 13 civilians injured, including two that are now in serious condition,” she added.

She said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have also carried out a massive attack on several Russian regions of Belgorod and Voronezh using UAVs in the last 24 hours.

“Once again, Shebekino in the Belgorod Region came under attack that left five people injured. Last night, a civilian was killed and 16 others injured during Ukraine’s attacks on the DPR. It was reported that a total of 21 Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed by air defence systems over four regions of Russia. It is apparent that Ukraine’s missile and UAV attacks on Russian regions are clearly of terrorist nature,” Zakharova said, according to the readout of the briefing released by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“We strongly condemn these barbaric terrorist acts aimed at destroying civilian infrastructure, and killing and intimidating civilians,” Zakharova added.

Terming the strikes by Ukraine as ‘terrorist attacks’, Zakharova called on international organisations to condemn these acts.

“We have no doubt that those who organised and perpetrated these crimes, including their foreign sponsors, will be held to account. A tough response from the Russian Armed Forces will not take long in coming. Once again, we call on international organisations to condemn the terrorist attacks by Ukrainian militants, although we are sure that relevant structures’ shameful silence will come in response,” Zakharova said.

Ukraine says its forces are pressing farther into Russia’s Kursk area, a week after launching a cross-border operation in which Kyiv claims to have captured enemy soldiers and destroyed a Russian fighter plane, CNN reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that his soldiers have advanced 1 to 2 kilometres in Russia’s southern Kursk. Since the beginning of its surprise onslaught, Kyiv has claimed possession of approximately 1,000 square kilometres (386 square miles) of Russian territory.

Meanwhile, the Russian border region of Belgorod declared an emergency on Wednesday after new attacks by Ukrainian forces, reported CNN.

“The situation in the Belgorod region continues to be extremely difficult and tense,” Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a video message posted on his Telegram account on Wednesday.

Amid the ongoing tensions in the region, the Indian Embassy in Russia on Wednesday issued an advisory for Indian nationals in some regions of Russia, asking them to temporarily relocate outside Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions.

The advisory stated that due to security concerns in the Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions, all Indian nationals must temporarily relocate outside these regions.