Two border villages have been hit by Ukrainian shells, with no other casualties reported so far, the head of Belgorod Region says 
FILE PHOTO: A view shows a damaged fence of a residential house after a shelling as Russia’s military operation in Ukraine continues, in the village of Solokhi in Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, Russia. © Sputnik / Taisia Liskovets
The villages of Zhuravlyovka and Nekhoteevka in Russia’s Belgorod Region bordering Ukraine have once again been shelled by Ukrainian troops, leaving one person dead and several buildings damaged, the region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, claimed on Wednesday on his Telegram account.
According to the governor, preliminary reports indicate the villages were hit by five shells in total, with no visible damages found in Zhuravlyovka. “In Nekhoteevka, four dwellings and a community club were hit, with further reports of damaged roofs, windows, and hedges. A local man born in 1958 was killed,” Gladkov said.
Authorities are now trying to determine why the man was in the village at the time of the shelling, since it had previously been evacuated, the official added. “We relocated all the residents over a month ago,” he said.
Gladkov had previously advised Belgorod Region residents to avoid visiting the border-straddling villages of Zhuravlyovka, Nekhoteevka, and Sereda until further notice. The region’s government announced a state of emergency in the villages on March 23, and most of their residents have since been evacuated to the city of Belgorod.
Russian regions bordering Ukraine have been reporting attacks by Ukrainian forces since March, including mortar strikes, drone bombardments, and even suspected sabotage attempts.
In May, a truck driver was killed in a mortar strike on the village of Tyotkino in Kursk Region, with several other civilians injured.
Belgorod was hit by several ballistic missiles in July, killing a total of five civilians, and injuring at least five more.
